The beach between City Park and Heritage Harbor reopened to the public last week after a closure of more than six months to repair damage to the community’s sewage outfall line.
The borough last month collected and tested samples from the beach to ensure the area is safe for the public. “Results of those tests have come back within regulatory compliance and historical averages,” according to a March 28 announcement from City Hall.
A boat owner last September pulled anchor in front of the beach area, damaging the deepwater outfall line from Wrangell’s sewage treatment plant and causing the flow to back up into the plant. As an emergency measure to stop the backflow, borough crews cut the buried discharge line on the beach, allowing the treated effluent to spill into the tidal zone.
After locating the section of damaged pipeline in water almost 80 feet deep, about 1,700 feet from shore, the borough contracted for repairs — which were completed last month.
As of March 20, the full length of the discharge line was back in operation and crews repaired the pipeline cut at the beach to restore normal operations.
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