For
immediate release:
Dec. 13, 2011
WASTEWATER
DISCHARGES TO DES MOINES RIVER FOLLOWING EQUIPMENT
FAILURE
MEDIA CONTACT:
Tom Atkinson,
DNR, 515-725-0371 or [log in to unmask]
DES MOINES
—Malfunctioning equipment at a pumping station led to a wastewater discharge to
the Des Moines River on Monday.
The city of
Des Moines estimates that 378,000 gallons of untreated wastewater discharged
directly to the river from the Birdland pumping station Monday morning.
Equipment at the station, located at 1800 Pennsylvania Ave., failed around 12:30
a.m. The failure also took the pumping station’s alarm system
offline.
The city
discovered the problem and repaired the equipment by 11:30 a.m. Monday. The city
is also collecting water samples upstream and downstream of the
discharge.
The discharge
occurred downstream of the Des Moines Water Works’ drinking water intake. Both
the Des Moines and Ottumwa Water Works were notified of the
discharge.
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