Wastewater enters Smith Creek in Wellman

The City of Wellman discovered wastewater coming out of a storm sewer Tuesday. Wastewater was found entering Smith Creek. Wellman Public Works Director Aaron Shumaker said he saw a plume of wastewater enter the creek, but that it had completely dissipated when it got 100 feet downstream. He characterized the impact from the wastewater on the creek to be ?extremely small.?

Shumaker said in an interview Wednesday morning that there is a blockage in the wastewater line and a break in it. He has pinpointed the break between Seventh and Eighth streets on Second Avenue on the south end of town. Humans and their pets should stay out of Smith Creek until the problem is resolved.

He said he doesn?t know how much wastewater spilled into Smith Creek, which flows into the English River. However, he does know that about 65,000 gallons less has come into the wastewater plant than has gone out of the water plant in the last few days. He said those numbers should be nearly equal if there are no breaks in the line, assuming someone isn?t using the water to fill a swimming pool.

Shumaker said that if wastewater is concentrated in a stream, it can kill fish. A representative from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources examined the creek yesterday and told Shumaker that he does not expect fish to die from the spill. Shumaker said the creek is so small that it is rarely used for fishing or swimming.

The City of Wellman will collect samples of the water along Smith Creek. It will take those samples to the Keystone Lab in Newton for testing, which is the same place the city takes its weekly water samples. Shumaker said the lab will test for ammonia. He said the typical ammonia levels on treated wastewater in Wellman are practically imperceptible.

Shumaker said Kalona city officials would visit Wellman late Wednesday morning to help dislodge the blockage in the wastewater pipe through the use of a water jetter. He said that is what is causing the discharge into the creek. The wastewater is not able to flow along its normal path so it has found another path, leading it into Smith Creek. Later, Shumaker and a camera crew will place a camera in the wastewater line to see where the break is.

He said it?s too early to tell how expensive the repairs will be.

?Until we get it dislodged and the camera crew here, I can?t say,? said Shumaker.

Shumaker said he hopes to fix the problem by the end of the week.