WASTEWATER DISCHARGES REPORTED IN LE MARS, DES MOINES

MEDIA CONTACTS: Le Mars discharge: Ken Hessenius, DNR Spencer field office supervisor, at (712) 262-4177 or [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>; Des Moines discharge: David Perry, DNR Des Moines field office, at (515) 725-0419 or [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>.

DES MOINES — The DNR has received reports of a wastewater discharge in Le Mars Wednesday morning, as well as a discharge in Des Moines on Tuesday.

The failure of an electrical panel and backup systems led to the Le Mars discharge in Plymouth County, where wastewater backed up into a road ditch. An unknown amount of the wastewater flowed from the ditch to the Floyd River. City employees placed dikes in the ditch to prevent future discharges and are pumping pooled wastewater in the ditch back to the treatment plant. The DNR has notified downstream drinking water sources of the discharge.

In Des Moines, a failure at a pumping station behind Crestview Drive in the Greenfield Plaza housing development caused an estimated 8,000 gallons of untreated wastewater to discharge into a storm drain. The storm drain empties to a drainage way that flows into the North River. The homeowners association, which owns the pumping station, made repairs the same day to end the discharge. The neighborhood is located on the south side of the city, in Warren County.

People and pets should avoid the affected areas for 48 hours after the discharges ended.
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