STORM LAKE, Iowa (KELO.com) — Iowa officials said a Tyson plant released about 10,000 gallons of untreated wastewater into Storm Lake’s storm sewers early this morning.
The storm sewers empty into a detention pond. Officials were pumping water from the pond to try to keep it from entering a nearby lake.
Iowa Department of Natural Resources said some sewage likely entered the lake.
Storm Lake is in northwest Iowa.
Below is a news release from the Iowa DNR.
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STORM LAKE—An equipment failure at Tyson Fresh Meats, Inc., in Storm Lake caused a discharge of untreated wastewater into the city’s storm sewers early Wednesday morning.
Officials at the Tyson plant notified Iowa DNR about 2 a.m., initially estimating about 10,000 gallons were lost before they could stop the discharge.
The storm sewers empty into a detention pond near the intersection of E. Lakeshore Drive and Flindt Drive. The city began pumping from the pond about 3 a.m. to prevent process wastewater from entering the lake. However, city staff say an unknown amount of wastewater likely reached the lake.
The city collected water samples to test for indications of wastewater in the lake.
DNR will consider appropriate enforcement action.
