Caltrans, local utility agree to $850,000 penalty for Lake Tahoe sewage spill

The California Department of Transportation and the North Tahoe Public Utility District have agreed to pay $850,000 in connection with a 2024 wastewater spill that discharged approximately 85,000 gallons of untreated sewage into Lake Tahoe.

To become final, the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board must approve the agreement.

The Lahontan Water Board is accepting public comments on the proposal until Aug. 8 and is expected to consider it during a board meeting shortly thereafter.

During its investigation following the spill, the regional board confirmed that a Caltrans subcontractor punctured a sewer force main July 18, 2024.

The damaged main spilled raw sewage across a highway and parking lot into the lake at Carnelian West Beach. Altogether, about 123,000 gallons of sewage were spilled July 18-19 because of the damaged main.

Surface water sampling at and near the spill showed elevated bacteria levels, and in response, local authorities issued a health advisory and closed Carnelian West Beach for 13 days and Patton Landing Beach for a week.

The proposed $850,000 penalty reflects the volume of spilled sewage, the length of the beach closures and the potential for harm to beneficial uses and the environment caused by the incident.

Under the agreement, Caltrans and the district will fund an environmental project near the spill site, which would include permanent public restrooms and drinking fountains at Secline Beach to improve the management and safe disposal of wastewater.

These improvements will further the human right to sanitation and safe drinking water in Kings Beach, an economically disadvantaged community. The project also aims to protect water quality by constructing drainage improvements for sediment and erosion control.