Mercury Leak Discovered At Lake Curry Dam

VALLEJO - A Vallejo city contractor working at the Lake Curry Dam found a mercury leak, city officials said Monday.

The contractor is working on pipeline maintenance at the base of the dam, where a defunct flow meter was found in a dam outfall structure constructed in the 1920s.

The meter has been leaking mercury onto the valve house floor for an undetermined period of time.

City staff posted "Do Not Enter" signs at the valve house entrance. They've also taken water samples, the results of which were expected Monday.

Either way, Lake Curry isn't a source of drinking water, city staff said. Cleanup and remediation is scheduled to begin on Wednesday.

-Bay City News, image via Peter Mulligan/Flickr