St. Charles Bend set to fix sewage pipe leak

St. Charles Bend plans a permanent fix Thursday night to a leak from a sewage pipe that flooded a key area of the hospital on Tuesday, prompting some elective surgeries to be delayed and leaving some patient rooms without water for several hours.

The leak, due to a blockage in a 6-inch-wide pipe, occurred in the central processing department, where surgical instruments are cleaned and sterilized.

The blockage was cleared and temporary repairs made within about two hours. Parts were ordered for a permanent fix, planned for around 9 p.m. Thursday hospital Public Information Officer Lisa Goodman said Wednesday.

The work will affect 33 patient rooms with another temporary shutdown for a few hours while repairs are made.

“We’re hoping it will be a minimal impact” by the work being done at night, Goodman added.

Some cleaning and sterilization, known as processing, of instruments was done in operating rooms, while other instruments have been sent to St. Charles Redmond or local surgery centers until permanent repairs allow the reprocessing center to move back to full operations.