400,000 Gallons Of Raw Sewage Spill Into Ann Arbor Creek
ANN ARBOR (WWJ) - A BIG cleanup is underway following a nasty mess in Ann Arbor.
Officials say some 400,000 gallons of raw sewage spilled over into a creek for about two weeks before crews could stop the flow.
The situation was discovered around 11 a.m. Wednesday when a public works crew member noticed a sanitary sewer manhole was overflowing in a wooded area near the intersection of Washtenaw Avenue and Huron Parkway.
"The cause of the overflow was determined to be roots that had grown through the sanitary sewer pipe, blocking flow," officials said in a statement.
Crews immediately responded and removed the roots from the pipe to restore proper functioning order and end the overflow.
"Upon further investigation, evidence indicated that the overflow had been occurring for about two weeks," officials said. "It's estimated that some 400,000 gallons overflowed into Malletts Creek, equivalent to 2 cubic feet per second, whereas the median flow of water in Malletts Creek during this period was 2,737 cubic feet per second."
City officials said communities downstream of the plant don't withdraw drinking water from the Huron River, so there's no danger to area homes and businesses.
Officials also said there are no health risks posed by this overflow to those using the Huron River for recreational purposes, due to the dilution effects.
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality has been notified of the incident.
