This news release is dated Nov. 11, but it just arrived in my mailbox.
----------

Iowa DNR News

Environmental Services Division

 

For immediate release                                                                                   Nov. 11, 2007

DISCHARGE FROM SIOUX CITY WASTEWATER TREATMENT REACHES MISSOURI RIVER

MEDIA CONTACT: Neil Cook at (712) 262-4177

SIOUX CITY - About 145,000 gallons of wastewater bypassed treatment at the Sioux City Wastewater Treatment Plant Tuesday.

The untreated wastewater was discharged to the Missouri River after a screen plugged, causing the wastewater to back up and enter a bypass pipe. The bypassing occurred from 11 to 11:15 a.m. before the screen was cleaned and normal flow through the treatment plant resumed.

The city plans to install an alarm system so that plant operators would be alerted if high wastewater levels occur in the future.

Downstream water supplies were not notified, because the wastewater would have already passed the Omaha plant before the DNR was notified. The DNR was notified at 11:30 a.m. Thursday.

 Bypasses due to a mechanical failure must be reported to the DNR within 12 hours.

 

- 30 -

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubsribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask] Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp