Thousands of gallons of wastewater leak from ruptured sewage line

Over 400,000 gallons of wastewater has flowed into creeks in the city of Gainesville, US, due to a ruptured sewage line. A Gainesville Regional Utilities' (GRU) main sewage line failed on Friday (July 26th) causing the release of huge amounts of raw sewage. The wastewater that was released from the broken line has polluted low-lying areas and creeks in central Alachua County.

Hundreds of thousands of gallons of sewage from the broken line found its way into Hogtown Creek before the line was repaired on Saturday night (July 27th). To enable the repairs to take place, leaking wastewater was redirected into Possum creek, possibly resulting in higher levels of water pollution throughout the region.

According to GRU senior environmental engineer Tony Cunningham, the leak was initially detected early on Friday morning when the company was alerted to the presence of wastewater on the ground. Whilst work to begin repairs was underway, around 20,000 customers were left with a limited water supply. Customers were asked to limit the amount of water that was used until the repairs had been completed.

Even though the leak has now been stopped, people throughout the city are being advised to remain away from Possum and Hogtown creeks and the surrounding areas. Sampling of the two creeks will take place to ensure that the water is no longer impacted and is safe for residents. It is hoped that the water quality will return to normal within the next three-to-five days.

GRU may have said that the wastewater leak has not affected the drinking water quality, but Anthony Dennis, Alachua County environmental health director, has said that the leak may impact some residents' drinking water, according to the Gainesville Sun. Mr Dennis has suggested that residents in close proximity to the leak site should boil their water before drinking it. According to the news reporter, Mr Dennis said the wastewater could eventually flow into the ground and make its way into the Haile Sink - the city's aquifer.