City officials are asking West Salem residents to limit water usage after both sewer mains serving the area failed. Wastewater from West Salem is currently leaking out of the city sewer system into open fields and creeks, city spokesman Trevor Smith said. There is no estimate of when the system might be repaired. Drinking water is not affected and remains safe to drink. “We’re getting updates constantly as crews are in the fields looking for the damaged pipes,” Smith said. “We are doing our best to manage the situation.” The city in an alert Friday afternoon asked residents to: Limit the use of water for washing dishes and clothes. Reduce toilet flushing and avoid unnecessary water usage in bathrooms. Delay any non-essential water activities, such as cleaning dishes, doing laundry and flushing toilets. Use water for essential needs only. “Limiting the flow of water into the sewer system will help manage and slow the flow of wastewater being released into the creeks, streams, and Willamette River. Due to the location of the sewer main breaks, only West Salem residents are encouraged to reduce their water use at this time,” the city said in an emergency alert to West Salem residents. A map of the area affected by sewer main breaks on Friday, Dec. 27. (City of Salem) The issue began Thursday afternoon when a 24-inch wastewater main broke due to spots of corroding pipe around 4:30 p.m. The break was in Keizer, near the WIllow Lake Treatment Facility That main is one of two that transports wastewater from West Salem to the treatment plant, Smith said. Both travel under the Willamette River. Crews have been able to stop the flow of sewage from that main at the West Salem pump house, Smith said. But the break meant the only one smaller, 18-inch main was left transporting sewage from West Salem to the treatment plant. That mainwas overloaded and broke around 10 a.m. this morning in the same location. Pipes in both mains are over 50 years old, Smith said. Smith said there was no estimate of how much sewage is spilling, and rainy weather will make precise estimates difficult. “It’s going to be significant,” he said. People should avoid flooded areas north and east of Northwest Wallace Road, including Wallace Marine Park, and avoid all creeks and the Willamette River in the area, the city said. This story is developing and will be updated. Contact reporter Rachel Alexander: [email protected] or 503-575-1241.A MOMENT MORE, PLEASE– If you found this story useful, consider subscribing to Salem Reporter if you don’t already. Work such as this, done by local professionals, depends on community support from subscribers. Please take a moment and sign up now – easy and secure: SUBSCRIBE. The post City asks West Salem residents, businesses to limit water use after multiple sewer mains break appeared first on Salem Reporter.