Pasted below is a press release regarding a wastewater bypass
at Cedar Falls.
For
immediate release: August
9, 2010
LIGHTENING
STRIKE BELIEVED TO HAVE CAUSED BYPASSING IN CEDAR
FALLS
CEDAR
FALLS – Lightening is believed to have struck the wastewater treatment system in
Cedar Falls knocking out both the alarm system and some pumps at the treatment
plant.
As a
result, an estimated 750,000 gallons of untreated sewage was bypassed to the
Cedar River between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m. when the problem was discovered and fixed.
The
Iowa Department of Natural Resources is advising that precautions be taken for
at least the next 24 hours for people using the Cedar River below Cedar Falls
due to the likelihood of elevated bacteria levels. Those precautions
include:
• Avoid swallowing the water
• Avoid the water if you have
open cuts or wounds that could become infected by contact with bacteria
• Swimming is not recommended
for persons who are very young or very old and may have problems avoiding
ingestion of water, and people who have weakened immune systems due to other
medical conditions.
Meanwhile, a number of
wastewater facilities around the state were reporting overflows because of
excessive rain during the night. While a mechanical failure led to the Cedar
Falls discharge, other communities across the state are likely discharging
wastewater after heavy rains overwhelmed collection and treatment systems Late
Sunday evening and early Monday morning.
For
more information, contact Kevin Baskins at
515-281-8395.
-30-
Kevin
Baskins
Communications Bureau
Chief
Iowa Department of
Natural Resources
515-281-8395