Archived News Release: July 3, 2024 - In the early afternoon of July 3, 2024, city staff was notified of dried sewage and debris at a sanitary sewer manhole in a grassy area near a city-owned manhole behind Pittsfield Elementary school with evidence of the sewage reaching the nearby storm drain.
City public works staff immediately investigated and found no evidence of what caused the surcharge, however, the surcharge is no longer occurring. An estimated 75 gallons of raw sewage was released to the grassy area, ultimately flowing to the storm drain, which flows and daylights to Swift Run — near Whitewood and Norwood streets. This area is currently under evaluation for improvements as part of the design work for a Capital Improvement Project in the Pittsfield Village area to begin in 2025.
The city is working with the Washtenaw County Health Department — completing upstream and downstream sampling for e. Coli bacteria. The affected grassy area was cleaned then lime applied to neutralize any potential contamination.
Swift Run ultimately flows to the Huron River. While the Ann Arbor liveries are not affected, out of an abundance of caution, the city has posted signs recommending boaters remain upstream from South Pond for the next 48 hours.
In accordance with regulatory protocols, City of Ann Arbor staff contacted the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) to inform them of this incident.
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