Contractor spills up to 20K gallons of sewage into Oak Creek in Sedona

Sedona, river Oak Creek -- Cathedral Rock behind. (Photo by Lou GRIVE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

A contractor that was repairing a sewer main in Sedona accidentally spilled up to 20,000 gallons of sewage into Oak Creek.

According to a news release from the City of Sedona, the spill happened on the night of August 4 near State Route 179. "Untreated liquid effluent" was reportedly coming out of a manhole in front of the Hillside Sedona Shopping Center and flowed into a storm drain, which drained into Oak Creek at a rate of 150 gallons per minute.

The spill was contained at about 8:30 p.m.

The city and contractor, Kinney Construction Services, are conducting water and soil tests in the spill area. The results of these tests will be sent to the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality.

The contractor is notifying residents who have direct access to the creek of the sewage spill. The city says notices have also been placed at trailheads and other areas around Oak Creek.

Work on the sewer main construction project has been temporarily halted.

For more information on the sewer main construction project, visit www.sr179sewermainreplacement.com.

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