A rain gauge sits outside the Wastewater Treatment Plant in Midland.

A 50- to 60-foot length of cast-iron pipe was replaced following an Aug. 31 sanitary sewer overflow at the City of Midland Director of Wastewater Services treatment plant. 

The City of Midland issued a news release the afternoon of Aug. 31 announcing the overflow, reporting that it resulted in the discharge of approximately 500 gallons of raw wastewater underground.

At about 8 a.m. that day, a sanitary sewer leak was discovered while work was being done at the wastewater treatment plant at 2125 Austin Street, just north of Bay City Road and just east of South Saginaw Road.

"We had another project going on at the treatment plant where some excavation was done," said Wastewater Services Director Jared Driscoll. "The pipe itself was a very old pipe, so we replaced the whole thing. We went ahead and dug up the road and replaced the whole thing.

"We shouldn’t have any issues from that pipe for a long time."

The release said the overflow was contained and all necessary repairs were made by approximately 9 a.m. According to the City, no surface waters were impacted by the discharge and there is no threat to public health and safety.

Dan Chalk was born in Midland and graduated from Midland High School in 1989 and from Adrian College in 1994. He had a six-year teaching career both overseas in the Peace Corps and in Michigan, which overlapped slightly with his journalism career. He has worked for the Midland Daily News since 1998.