KALAMAZOO, Mich. – A manhole in Kalamazoo has overflowed, causing the streets to flood with gallons of raw sewage.
An estimated 3,000 to 4,000 gallons of sewage overflowed from the manhole located on Maple Street.
The Kalamazoo Department of Public Services was contacted regarding the situation at about 1:00 p.m. on Thursday.
The sewage has been released to Axtell Creek from Maple Street to Howard Street, through the storm-water system.
Both the KDPS and Kalamazoo County Health and Community Services Department are advising that people avoid contact with the surface water in and around the area.
If contact is made with the sewage, it is encouraged that people disinfect their shoes, clothes and skin immediately.
There is an advisory in place until a further investigation and sampling of the sewage is complete.
Anyone with questions can call 269-373-5210.
5 Comments to “Manhole Overflows, Gallons Of Sewage Flood Streets”
February 24, 2013 at 11:23 PM
Well, that quite literally stinks. What was the local government doing letting the drains get clogged bad enough for that to happen?
April 8, 2013 at 2:04 AM
Up to 4,000 gallons of raw sewage on the streets? That's going to need a lot of cleaning and odor control.
April 8, 2013 at 2:45 AM
The ones that were the most affected were houses with basement. It seems that the pipes for sewage treatment bursted and the pressure mounted upwards into the drainage that augmented a water reverse flow. It will take excavation to repair those.
April 17, 2013 at 1:56 AM
That sewage water that overflowed could is biohazard. The local government needs better response teams and water work implementation to curb this flow.