Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties

Heavy rain water overwhelms sewer system

By CHARITY SMITH

[email protected]

WAKEFIELD — The Wakefield sewer system was overwhelmed with surface water due to heavy rains and melting snow on Wednesday.

“The rain coupled with snowmelt placed extreme pressure on the City’s sanitary sewer system,” city officials announced on social media.

In an effort to prevent untreated wastewater from backing up into residents basements, city manager Rob Brown said that city staff took action and began releasing untreated, highly diluted raw sewage outside the sanitary sewer system. The water was discharged at two locations, w...