The sewage spill near Chester Creek has been repaired

Update October 11, 2024: On Friday, the City of Duluth announced that the cause of a sanitary sewer leak in Chester Creek has been repaired. The collapsed section of the 15-inch sanitary sewer pipe has been replaced.

The repair was completed on Wednesday. The cleaning of the site was done on Thursday and Friday. The bypass installed to mitigate the overflow will remain in place for the next two weeks while contractors install a cured pipe liner at the site. As a result, there will be personnel and equipment in the area.

The leak began on October 2nd and the last sanitary sewer overflow in this incident was on October 4th. Since then, no wastewater has entered Chester Creek.

While the City of Duluth never guarantees the quality or safety of a natural body of water, signage alerting the public to sewage overflows is being removed from the area. The public should continue to use their own judgment when coming into contact with any natural body of water, including Chester Creek.

Updated October 8, 2024: As of 4:30 p.m. Oct. 8, 2024, the City of Duluth is still advising people and pets to avoid Chester Creek “out of an abundance of caution,” but primary repairs have been made to the pipe sewer A further update should be provided later in the week.

original story: The MPCA says they and the City of Duluth are working to repair a collapsed 15-inch sewer pipe north of Chester Creek. As of Friday, sewage continues to be released. People and pets are advised to avoid contact with Chester Creek.

According to a press release sent out Thursday from the city, the utility operations team was notified at 1 p.m. Wednesday of a possible sanitary sewer backup near the intersection of Kenwood Avenue and College Street, north of Chester Bowl.

The City says crews worked through the afternoon and night to clear the blockage with partial success. On Thursday, they were able to add additional staff and specialized equipment.

The paths in the park are not closed, but the city council asks the public to be cautious in the affected section.

The MPCA says it collected water samples from the release. They say people and pets should avoid contact with Chester Creek while the city works to make repairs. An estimate of how much was spilled was not available Friday.

The City has notified the Minnesota Service Officer. According to the Minnesota BCA, “The Minnesota Service Officer provides a single point of response for local and state agencies to request statewide assistance for emergencies, serious accidents or incidents, or to report hazardous materials and spills. oil”.

The City Council is not sure how long it will take to fix the problem and has not said anything about the environmental impacts.