At Least 7 Million Gallons of Sewage Spewed Into Onondaga Lake After Pipe Break

 

By Glenn Coin 

Syracuse, N.Y. -- The surge of record-breaking rain last week broke a sewer pipe near Onondaga Lake, spilling at least 7 million gallons of raw sewage into the lake.

The 42-inch diameter pipe near the Inner Harbor broke Friday, in the midst of 21 straight hours of rain in Syracuse. The leak lasted more than 24 hours, with "diluted raw sewage" spilling at a rate of 5,000 gallons per minute, according to a report the county filed with the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

The 50-year-old pipe has not yet been repaired, but the sewage is no longer leaking into the lake because sewage water flows are much lower than during last week's rain, said Tom Rhoads, Onondaga County's Water Environment Protection commissioner.

More sewage will be discharged into the lake while the pipe is repaired this weekend, the county said in a news release. The county must first install a bypass system before work begins. 

Click here for the full article.

Source: Syracuse.com (via The Empire Report)