2008 Media Releases

Date:

October 30, 2008

For More Information Contact:

Gary Brandt, Utilities Coordinator
Scott Holmes, Health Department

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PUBLIC URGED TO TAKE PRECAUTIONS AFTER BACKUP

City officials today recommended the public take precautions after a backup of wastewater in the area of 76th St. and Pioneers Blvd. last night. An unknown amount of the wastewater entered Antelope Creek, which flows into Holmes Lake. Over the next week, the public should:

• Avoid the stream area from Pioneers Blvd. north to Holmes Lake, including the dog run area.
• Not allow pets to swim or wade in the stream or in Holmes Lake or drink water from those sources.
• Avoid contact with Holmes Lake water. Fish from Holmes Lake are safe to eat if thoroughly cooked.
• Avoid the manhole area at 76th and Pioneers.

Signs have been posted at the affected areas. Officials say people in the area may a notice a sewage odor in the area for a few days.

A user of the trail along Antelope Creek called the City about 5 p.m. to report a sewer odor and wastewater flowing out of a manhole near the sidewalk on the north side of Pioneers Blvd. Wastewater Collection crews responded immediately. The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department (LLCHD) also responded to the incident, and the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) was notified of the event.

The overflow was stopped at about 8:15 p.m. A blockage in a pipe was removed, and normal sanitary sewer service was re-established by about 11 p.m. Officials said that blockage was caused by rock debris and an accumulation of greasy deposits. No private property damage was associated with the blockage. Most of the wastewater entered a wooded area on the north of Pioneers, and that water is being pumped back into the sanitary sewer. Ground areas where the overflow occurred were treated with chemical disinfectants. City crews inspected Antelope Creek and sampled water downstream. Results were reported to the LLCHD and NDEQ.

For more information on this notification or the Lincoln Wastewater operations, visit the City Web site at lincoln.ne.gov (keyword: wastewater) or call Roger Krull, Assistant Superintendent of Wastewater Collection, at 441-7961.