Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Environmental Services Division
 
For Immediate ReleaseJuly 30, 2008
 
1.      Red discharge in West Nishnabotna River linked to Harlan dairy
2.      Storm, power outage leads to Burlington bypass
3.      Truck accident leads to power outage at Cedar Rapids wastewater treatment plant
 
RED DISCHARGE IN WEST NISHNABOTNA RIVER LINKED TO HARLAN DAIRY
 
MEDIA CONTACT: Dan Stipe or Dan Olson, DNR Atlantic field office, (712) 243-1934 or [log in to unmask] or [log in to unmask] 
 
HARLAN — The DNR is investigating runoff from a dairy operation that caused a red coloration in the West Nishnabotna River northeast of Harlan.
 
The DNR began its investigation Tuesday after receiving a complaint of red, frothy water in the river. DNR staff traced the discharge back to a dairy facility owned by Natural Milk Production, LLC, also known as Ultimilk Dairy Company. With more than 6,000 cows at the facility, it is one of the largest dairy operations in Iowa. 
 
Dairy employees were pumping out an area that stores leachate, or drainage, from silage at the facility when irrigation equipment began working improperly. The irrigation equipment applied the leachate to the same area for an extended amount of time. The leachate then ran off into the river.
 
Runoff from silage, which is agricultural material fed to animals, is high in organic matter. When it reaches a stream or river, silage runoff is consumed by bacteria, using up oxygen. This lack of oxygen can be lethal to fish. 
 
“We encourage facilities to report any type of spill to the DNR as soon as possible to reduce any impact to a stream, river or lake,” said Dan Olson with the DNR’s Atlantic field office. “Manure may be an obvious spill to report for some, but there are plenty of other discharges that can kill fish or otherwise damage our waters.”
 
While this incident does not appear to have caused a fish kill, it is a prohibited discharge. The DNR will continue to investigate, including an on-site inspection Friday, and will consider possible enforcement action.
 
Writer: Jessie Brown 
 
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STORM, POWER OUTAGE LEADS TO BURLINGTON BYPASS
 
MEDIA CONTACT: Jim Sievers, DNR Washington field office, at (319) 653-2135 or [log in to unmask] 
 
BURLINGTON — A severe thunderstorm Tuesday evening led to a power outage and wastewater discharge in Burlington.
 
The power outage caused the pumps at the Market Street pumping station to fail at 5:20 p.m. An alarm alerted city officials to the pump failure, and the city worked to return the pumps to service by 5:35 p.m.
 
The city estimates that 160,000 gallons or less were discharged to the Mississippi River during the power failure. The Market Street pumping station handles sewage from the sanitary sewer and stormwater and sewage from the combined sewer.
 
The city notified drinking water plants downstream at Fort Madison and Keokuk of the discharge.
 
Writer: Jessie Brown 
 
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TRUCK ACCIDENT LEADS TO POWER OUTAGE AT CEDAR RAPIDS WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT
 
MEDIA CONTACT: Mike Wade, DNR Manchester field office, (563) 927-2640 or [log in to unmask] 
 
CEDAR RAPIDS — An early morning semi tractor accident led to a power outage and resulting wastewater discharge from the Cedar Rapids wastewater treatment system on Wednesday.
 
The truck hit a power pole that serves the city’s wastewater treatment plant around 3:00 a.m. As a result, partially treated wastewater began discharging from some manholes around 5:00 a.m. One manhole near the Indian Creek Nature Center is sending sewage to Indian Creek a few hundred feet from where the stream meets the Cedar River. Two other manholes nearby are discharging directly to the Cedar River, likely raising bacteria levels.
 
Additionally, a temporary strap holding up a main gate to the plant broke, blocking all wastewater flow into the plant. The gate is located at the bottom of a 40-foot well where sewage comes into the treatment plant. Divers raised the gate around 8:30 a.m.
 
With the gate repaired and power restored, the city stopped the discharges from the manholes at 9:30 Wednesday morning.
 
The city has notified the nature center and residents in the area of the discharges and is using lime to disinfect the area.
 
Cedar Rapids is continuing to make repairs to its wastewater treatment plant and collection system following major damages from this summer’s floods.
 
Writer: Jessie Brown 
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