OMAHA, Nebraska - The Papillion Creek Wastewater treatment plant spilled raw sewage into the Missouri River this week after the plant was flooded.
The plant was shut down and workers watched the levee for more breaks as trucks full of sand kept arriving in an attempt to slow the flooding. Because of the plant failure, raw sewage from 600,000 customers flowed straight into the Missouri River, which flows south along the Nebraska/Iowa state border.
"On the combined sewer system that's part of the Missouri River basin system we have overflows and the recommendation is that you avoid being in the water and hopefully people understand that with the quantity of water coming down, they know they need to stay out of the water," City of Omaha Public Works Director Bob Stubbe tells KFAB-AM Radio.
Nearby residents were encouraged to evacuate. Roads in the area were becoming flooded in as little as 45 minutes Friday as the water continued south. Photos KFAB-AM Council Bluffs/Omaha.