Rain causes sewage bypass

The city of Fairfield had approximately 176,310 gallons of sewage that bypassed into the waters of the state from manhole sewer overflows Wednesday.

According to wastewater superintendent Ken Goering, the city had about 38,122 gallons of recorded overflows from the east side of Fairfield from four manholes that flowed to Crow Creek. About 138,188 gallons from one manhole on the city?s west side flowed into Indian Creek that flows through Jefferson County Park and on to Cedar Creek. There were no overflows in Jefferson County Park. These overflows were from 0.90 inches of rain of which about a half inch fell within 30 minutes from 7:15-7:45 p.m.

City and Iowa Department of Natural Resources representatives were to meet today to discuss the plan to eliminate the sewage bypasses.

?The Fairfield community has made significant progress on Indian Creek in stopping overflows onto the park trails, but we still have a significant problem as noted by the Wednesday downpour that resulted in 138,000 gallons of diluted sewage flowing into Indian Creek,? Goering said.

For the complete article, see the Thursday, May 14, 2009, Fairfield Ledger.