An overflowing pipe sent a stream of approximately 5.22 million gallons wastewater into Broad Creek in the Fort Washington area of Prince George’s County, Maryland, on Friday.
The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) said that its water and wastewater systems are entirely separate and the overflow in no way affected the drinking water in the area.
The overflow started at around 11 a.m. and was stopped at 11:30 p.m.
Crews worked around the clock to stop the sewer overflow and clean up the impacted area around the Broad Creek Wastewater Pumping Station. Signs have been posted alerting residents to avoid the area and workers applied lime to mitigate the odor, according to a WSSC news release.
The cause of the overflow is still under investigation, but preliminary reports indicate a pipe buried approximately 30-feet deep at the station may have failed.
The pumping station, which has resumed normal operations, is located at 10315 Livingston Road.
