Greenwood sewage spills into Lake Winnebago
Posted by GSDispatch Editor in by Phil Kloster, GSD Online
One of the two pumps operating at a cumulative 20,000 gallons per minute.
On Friday, April 23rd, vandals in Greenwood dropped an asphalt chunk and shop rags into the city’s sewer system resulting in a clogged condition which may have spilled as much as 40,000 gallons of waste into a tributary of neighboring Lake Winnebago. Witnesses have described the recreational vehicle spotted near the scene and any other witnesses are encouraged to contact the Greenwood Police Department or the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to report the crime.
Mayor Marvin Megee indicated that the cleanup last Saturday night would cost the City of Greenwood approximately $2,000 while the pumping of Lake Winnebago’s 2-acre silt pond would cost around $5,000. He did not know if the incident would be covered by Greenwood’s insurance.
Greenwood Public Works employee, Gary McCombs indicated that he was thrilled to have Alderman Al Reynolds and Mayor Megee out helping with the cleanup. In under 2 weeks of holding office, Mayor Megee has been heavily involved with the cleanup of this spill. Reports describe Megee as going down into the sewer himself at 3:00 AM last Saturday because he was the smallest frame of the available manpower and then showing up for a 7:00 AM training session with the BOA four hours later.
Greenwood Mayor Megee assists with cleanup.
Silt pond leading to Lake Winnebago, bordering Greenwood, Mo.
The immediate concern due to this incident is the fact that Saturday, April 24th was Lake Winnebago’s annual Lake Cleanup day. Thirty to forty residents participated in cleaning the silt pond in which the waste was spilled, so there is a public health risk at this juncture. Those residents who have not yet exhibited symptoms of illness are likely fine, but any who are sick or who may have entered the water last Saturday with open wounds are encouraged to seek the advice of their physician immediately.
E.Coli is merely a fecal contamination indicator and the presence does not mean citizens will necessarily become ill. The incubation period for GI tract illnesses would have already manifested in those who were exposed over the weekend.
Drainage from Silt pond leading to Lake Winnebago.
Lake Winnebago’s Public Works Department is attempting to contact all affected citizens to provide them with instructions from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Those instructions are available for download: Hepatitis FAQ and Shigella Facts. You can also refer to http://www.dhss.mo.gov/Salmonellosis/ for additional information.
Water way from Silt pond leading to Lake Winnebago.
According to Lake Winnebago’s Director of Public Works, Steve Besermin, the test results for the silt pond exceeded the EPA’s tolerance levels significantly. Acceptable levels of E. Coli are 125 parts per 100 ML and the silt pond tested at 5,000 while the lake was within acceptable range at 100 parts per 100 ML. However, tests for Coliform revealed both the lake and the silt pond to be well above acceptable levels of 2000 parts per 100 ML with the lake registering at 4,000 parts and the silt pond at 87,000.
Tests will be conducted daily and Lake Winnebago will initiate the standard phone tree call when the water is again safe for activity.
