An estimated 100,000 to 120,000 gallons of wastewater spills into Solon creek

More than 100,000 gallons of partially treated wastewater flowed into Mill Creek in Solon after the city's water treatment plant malfunctioned there Monday.

According to a media release from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the city reported to the DNR on Tuesday that the wastewater had flowed overland into the creek due to a malfunctioning pump and provided the department with an estimate of how much had reached the creek.

The DNR has collected water samples from the creek for analysis, according to the release. Despite the lack of any evidence of a fish kill as a result of the spill, the DNR cautions that animals or children should avoid the creek for 24 to 48 hours or until laboratory results come in. In the meantime, park staff at the Lake Macbride State Park are using a temporary silt dam on Mill Creek to prevent the wastewater from entering the lake.

DNR staff will continue monitoring the creek and lake for environmental consequences of the spill, according to the release, and potential enforcement actions could follow.