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Dear agricultural producer,
As a registered produce grower in the Arkansas River Valley, we want to make sure you have seen the notice from the City of Pueblo Wastewater Department (CPWD) regarding the unintended discharge of approximately 4.25 million gallons of raw sewage into the Arkansas River.
State officials were notified of the discharge on Thursday afternoon, August 27, after the discharge was halted at approximately 11:45 a.m.
Because a large amount of raw sewage was released into the Arkansas River, your irrigation water could be impacted.
The Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) is working closely with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, as well as the City of Pueblo, Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment, and other local, state and federal partners to assess the situation. We’re working with partners who are testing water samples and we will provide more information as soon we’re able to.
Produce growers who fall under the FDA’s Produce Safety Rule must ensure any water they use before, during or after harvest is of adequate quality.
Please review your current water handling procedures to assess what you should do if you suspect your water supply was impacted by this event. You can find water safety best practices in CDA’s most recent Produce Safety Newsletter.
We will share more information as we receive it from our partner agencies.
If you have any questions, you can contact CDA’s Produce Safety team at cda_produce.safety@state.co.us.
Duane Sinning
Produce Safety Program Administrator
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