City urges precautions after wastewater backup

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By the Lincoln Journal Star

City officials on Thursday said the public should take precautions after a backup of wastewater in the area of 76th Street and Pioneers Boulevard on Wednesday night.

An unknown amount of the wastewater entered Antelope Creek, which flows into Holmes Lake. City officials said that over the next week, the public should:

* Avoid the stream area from Pioneers Boulvevard north to Holmes Lake, including the dog run area.

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* Not allow pets to swim or wade in the stream or in Holmes Lake or drink water from those sources.

* Avoid contact with Holmes Lake water. Fish from Holmes Lake are safe to eat if thoroughly cooked.

* Avoid the manhole area at 76th and Pioneers.

Signs have been posted at the affected areas. Officials say those in the area may a notice a sewage odor for a few days.

A user of the trail along Antelope Creek called the city about 5 p.m. to report a sewer odor and wastewater flowing out of a manhole near the sidewalk on the north side of Pioneers Boulevard. Wastewater collection crews and the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department responded and the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality was notified.

The overflow was stopped about 8:15 p.m. A blockage in a pipe was removed and normal sewer service was re-established by about 11 p.m.

Officials said that blockage was caused by rock debris and an accumulation of greasy deposits. No private property damage was associated with the blockage. Most of the wastewater entered a wooded area on the north of Pioneers and that water is being pumped back into the sanitary sewer.

Ground areas where the overflow occurred were treated with chemical disinfectants. City crews inspected Antelope Creek and sampled water downstream and results were reported to the LLCHD and NDEQ.

For more information on this notification or the Lincoln Wastewater operations, visit the city Web site at lincoln.ne.gov (keyword: wastewater).