WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — A public health advisory was issued in Washington Township on Wednesday due to a rupture in the sewer system.
Thousands of gallons of raw sewage may have went into the Clinton River, however, officials in Washington Township say the leak is under control.
Full story: Sewage break prompts public health advisory in Washington Township
The break happened Tuesday night in Macomb Township on Hayes Road near 25 and 26 Mile roads, according to Washington Township Supervisor Sebastian “Sam” Previti. The sewage pipe impacted serves Washington Township.
Previti said officials monitored the situation when it happened and did not think it was severe. However, that changed Wednesday afternoon when officials realized it was much worse.
Macomb County got involved and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy has been contacted, township officials said.
VIDEO: Chopper 7 captures crews working to fix the sewage break
Hayes Road is closed between 25 Mile and 26 Mile roads until further notice. Residents are being urged to avoid the Middle Branch of the Clinton River.
Test samples have been taken of the Middle Branch Clinton River as crews work to prevent raw sewage from getting into the river. Officials are requesting that people avoid the river for the next 72 hours.
"Currently, we're afraid that there may be a possibility of seepage into the river, so we did take water samples. We’ll know that first thing in the morning," Previti said.
They’re also urging residents to exercise responsible water usage over the next 48 hours, meaning refraining from running the dishwasher and washing machine and taking shorter showers to alleviate sewage.
“Normally, between 5 and 9 p.m. is the high usage rates. Everyone comes home and the usage is up. By sending that alert, the normal rate actual dropped,” Previti said.
The township says septic systems were not impacted.
Crews have been filling massive tanks to carry past the break to pump back into the sewage system. Previti estimated Wednesday night that 500,000 gallons have gone through the pipe since the break. He believes the crews have kept most of it out of the river.
“Our big concern was obviously the overflowing of sewage to make sure it doesn't go into the river or the soccer field nearby,” Previti said.
The pipe is more than 45 years old, Previti said. It's estimated that about 21,000 gallons run through the pipe every hour.
A replacement pipe is expected to arrive from Grand Rapids early Thursday morning around 3 a.m. or 4 a.m.
Officials are hoping to have a temporary fix Thursday morning with a more permanent fix likely coming Friday.
**Editor's note: Township officials in a previous version of this article said raw sewage was going into the Middle Branch Clinton River. They later said they are not sure about that and test samples were taken. We have updated this article to reflect that.
