Lake County Sued Over Catastrophic Sewage Spill That Devastated Clearlake Community
New lawsuit alleges that decades of neglect and deferred maintenance caused 2.9 million gallons of raw sewage to flood a residential neighborhood, contaminating homes, private wells, and a public lake.
CLEARLAKE, CA – A lawsuit has been filed on behalf of Burns Valley residents, homeowners, and renters impacted by the spill against the County of Lake, Lake County Special Districts, and the Lake County Sanitation District following the catastrophic rupture of a sewer force main on January 11, 2026, that discharged approximately 2.9 million gallons of untreated raw sewage into the Burns Valley residential community in Clearlake, California. The lawsuit alleges that Defendants' years-long failure to inspect, maintain, and repair their aging wastewater infrastructure — despite repeated regulatory warnings and a prior rupture on the same force main just three years earlier— made this disaster not only foreseeable, but inevitable.
The rupture occurred in the Burns Valley area when a 16-inch force main sewer pipe owned and operated by the Defendants failed. Crews were unable to stop the discharge for more than 37.5 hours because multiple critical isolation valves were seized and inoperable, and Defendants lacked the emergency repair parts needed to respond. Raw sewage flooded residential streets, yards, foundations, and crawl spaces before flowing into Burns Valley Creek and Clear Lake. By early February 2026, the contamination had spread across approximately 549 acres, affecting an estimated 164 to 200 properties relying on private drinking water wells. Many residents went nearly a month without access to running water.
The complaint cites a record of institutional neglect by the County of Lake, Lake County Special Districts, and the Lake County Sanitation District. As early as 2022, Defendants' own internal audit acknowledged that 'there is no local supplier with around the clock access for parts needed in an emergency,’ and recommended hiring a key infrastructure oversight coordinator 'ASAP,' a position that had already sat vacant for at least seven years. That coordinator role was responsible for ensuring the system was properly inspected, maintained, and repaired. Then in March 2023, an almost identical rupture occurred on the same force main, confirming both that the isolation valve was not sealing and that specialty parts were unavailable locally. Defendants took no corrective action on either front before the January 2026 disaster
“Lake County knew for years that this system was failing,” said Knut Johnson of Singleton Schreiber, attorney for the Plaintiffs. “They had a prior spill on the same pipe, a state regulatory finding that they had no infrastructure improvement plan, a documented acknowledgment that they had no emergency parts supply, and a critical oversight position that sat vacant for seven years. When that force main finally gave way, nearly 500 residents paid the price and many are still waiting for clean water today. This was not an accident. It was the result of systemic neglect, and our clients deserve accountability.”
The lawsuit asserts claims for inverse condemnation, dangerous condition of public property, trespass, private and public nuisance, breach of mandatory duty, and negligence. Plaintiffs seek compensation for property damage, contamination of private drinking water supplies, medical expenses, lost income, relocation costs, loss of use and enjoyment of their homes, diminution in property value, and injunctive relief compelling full remediation of the Burns Valley aquifer.
About Singleton Schreiber
Singleton Schreiber is a client-centered law firm focusing on civil rights, environmental justice, mass torts/multi-district litigation, and personal injury/wrongful death. With a deep commitment to serving communities that have been marginalized and harmed, the firm has spent over a decade fighting for justice and holding powerful corporations accountable. Home to the nation’s largest fire litigation practice, the firm has represented over 30,000 wildfire and explosion victims and played leading roles in high-stakes cases nationwide. Singleton Schreiber is also a leader in environmental litigation, advocating for those impacted by corporate negligence and environmental disasters, including the 2025 Moss Landing Battery Fire, the ongoing Imperial Beach Sewage Spill, and the City of Boulder and Boulder County's lawsuit against oil giants for exacerbating climate change. Its civil rights practice tackles police misconduct, excessive force, wrongful incarceration, and free speech violations, using strategic litigation to drive reform. The team is also pursuing groundbreaking litigation against Tesla’s autopilot system, serving in leadership in national hair relaxer litigation, and advocating for survivors of abuse by major hotel chains. With deep experience in complex claims, Singleton Schreiber is committed to obtaining justice for its clients, holding corporations accountable and helping communities recover.
