Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By CHARITY SMITH
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, where, according to Brown there is not a lot of human interaction. The first location was off of Putnam near U.S. 2. The sewage was released into the storm water system, bypassing Sunday Lake and entering Planter Creek. The city began discharging at approximately 3 a.m. and continued until 10:26 a.m., releasing about 300,069 gallons. The second location was into a ditch line near the lift station on Cemetery Road. Discharging began at approximately 4 a.m. and continued until 12:30 p.m., releasing about 90,000 gallons
“Due to several factors, including the high level of dilution and location, the event does not pose a risk to the general public or the environment,” Brown said. “The sanitary sewer overflow event does not impact the city’s water supply.”
Brown said the city of Wakefield draws its water from wells several hundred feet below ground and does not utilize surface water, such as Sunday Lake. He said the city is continuing to execute a multi-year strategic plan to improve its sanitary sewer system’s capability, capacity and reliability. The City collaborates with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, Energy, and the Western U.P. Health Department, Brown said.
Brown said there was no equipment failure, just inflow and infiltration, which he said is pretty common in the U.P.
“I think people hear the term ‘sewage’ and think we’re releasing all this nasty brown sludge. We’re not. It’s actually mostly rain water,” he said.
He said the city is required to report it to the state, who will evaluate it as to whether it was the city’s fault or a natural occurrence. Brown said at this point, from what he has heard from the health department, it is a natural occurrence.
“As the ground continues to thaw and precipitation transitions to rain, sump pumps will begin to work harder; the City asks all residents with sump pumps to verify they are not connected to their home’s sanitary sewer. The excessive water from sump pumps and other sources can easily overwhelm the City’s sanitary sewer system,” officials said.
Residents who are unsure if their sump pump is connected to the city’s sanitary sewer line can contact the city’s department of public works for assistance.
