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Resident reporters urge transparency after raw sewage spill into Farm Creek; city says clog cleared, testing underway
Summary
Residents described heavy sewage discharge into Farm Creek near Dallas Street and asked the city to release EPA test results and expedite cleanup. City staff said crews cleared a blockage, contracted a Vactor-equipped vendor to jet and remove the clog, and are coordinating sampling with IEPA.
Alyssa Vandernault, a local public-health nurse, told the Washington City Council that children play daily in Farm Creek and that property at 926 Dallas and 1020 Dallas had “some of the largest concentration of sewage leakage,” urging the council to release EPA water-test results and speed cleanup.
Vandernault said residents were told the cleanup could be delayed “for several days” because the city's Vactor truck had a radiator problem and asked the council to ensure testing and public notice are transparent. “My kids play in the creek daily,” she said, adding that the odor near the bridge on Dallas was ‘‘gag worthy.’’
Pat Coyle, a local plumber and longtime resident, described the stretch as a longstanding wet area and urged staff to run a camera down the sewer line to identify the cause. “Run a camera down it, see what you find,” Coyle said, and recommended temporarily pumping water from a nearby lake or asking the fire department to help flush and dilute the discharge.
City Administrator Carr reported staff learned of the problem after an 8:15 a.m. text and found a blockage between two manholes near the addresses cited by residents. Carr told the council the city's own Vactor truck was out of service with a radiator issue, so staff contacted a contractor (HAIR), which supplied a Vactor/jetter and cleared the clog, routing waste to the treatment plant.
Carr said staff and the contractor performed dissolved-oxygen (DO) sampling; DO levels were “extremely low” near the spill and returned to normal at downstream sampling points. He said the leak has been stopped and the creek is in the process of drying out while the city and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency coordinate remediation and follow-up sampling. Carr said staff will seek permission from the Rodriguez family to regrade a section of the ditch to improve drainage near the affected manhole.
Council members asked whether the initial resident call had reached the city's after-hours line; members discussed improving dispatch routing and encouraging residents to sign up for Code Red emergency notifications. Chief Stevens confirmed the city uses Code Red and encouraged residents to register so they receive text alerts.
The council did not take formal action on the sewage incident at the meeting; staff said cleanup and additional testing will continue and that they are working with IEPA on remediation plans.
