MEMPHIS, Tenn. — City leaders gathered on Wednesday to announce repairs on the burst pipeline that sent millions of gallons of raw sewage into Cypress Creek is expected to be finished by midnight.
According to a public works spokesperson, a contractor is working to construct a bypass so the pipe can be used again.
The project could cost the sewer fund anywhere from $8 million to $10 million.
Representatives from the city of Memphis Division of Public Works, the Memphis Fire Department, the Shelby County Health Department, the Shelby County Office of Preparedness, the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency and the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency were all in attendance on Wednesday.
Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland praised all of the agencies who have been working around the clock saying “their hard work is paying off and it’s near completion.”
On Friday, April 1, an estimated 40 to 50 million gallons of raw sewage poured into Cypress Creek after a sewer line broke.
Crews immediately began working to contain the sewage from the break, and continue to do so around the clock.
On Wednesday, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation issued a temporary Water Contact Advisory after extremely high levels of E. coli were discovered in McKellar Lake.
“This is a very serious situation and any bodily contact to the water is dangerous,” said Shari Meghreblian, the TDEC deputy commissioner for the Bureau of Environment.
Water sample results showed E. coli levels in much of McKellar Lake are up to 300 times the recreational criteria for streams and up to 580 times the recreational criteria for lakes, according to TDEC.
They said anyone who does come into contact with the water and then experiences gastrointestinal problems should contact their doctor immediately.
So far, no health issues have been reported, but this is still a major health concern.
Experts said it’s too early to tell the long term impact this will have.
More than 10,000 fish have died due to the leak.
