Sewer break sends untreated wastewater into Coralville's Muddy Creek

CORALVILLE – A break in a sewer line Wednesday on the north side of Coralville has caused an ongoing discharge of untreated wastewater into Muddy Creek and then to the Iowa River.

That has promoted city officials to ask residents in the Altanna Estates, Auburn Hills, Brown Deer, Dovetail, East Auburn Hills, Forest Edge Estates, Glenn Oaks, Highland Park, Nor Cor, Ollinger, Pine Hills, Pine Valley, Terra Ridge, Terra Woods, and Timber subdivisions to limit wastewater discharge until further notice.

Residents in the affected area are asked to limit dish and laundry washing, take shorter showers, and reduce toilet flushing when possible.

The break was reported to the city about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday after someone saw sewage coming out of a manhole. The city is assessing damages to the lift station to determine the extent and timing of repairs.

Gary Mcatee, Assistant Coralville Wastewater Superintendent, said they must first stabilize erosion under the control building near the broken sewer line before they will be able to assess the extent of the damage and make repairs.

Mcatee said there is a pump on scene and crews from Maxwell Construction will begin digging soon.

It's unknown when the discharge began. Normally about 321,000 gallons per day go through the pump station. The flow is currently going into a storm water basin and then into Muddy Creek along Oakdale Boulevard near First Avenue.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources asks parents to keep children and pets away from the area to avoid potential contact with waste water.

The DNR informed water supplies in Iowa City and at the University of Iowa.

The area requested to limit wastewater discharge is generally bounded by Forevergreen Road on the north to Dubuque Street on the east, Oakdale Road on the west, and Holiday Road east of 12th Avenue on the south.  See the attached map at http://www.coralville.org/DocumentView.aspx?DID=545