Residents of eastern Oktibbeha County are being urged by the state Department of Environmental Quality to avoid contact with portions of Sand Creek and a nearby tributary due to a leaking sewage line.
The Department of Environmental Quality discovered the leaking sewage line on an unnamed tributary of Sand Creek located east of the Department of Public Safety offices on Highway 182, according to a MDEQ press release.
The advisory begins on the unnamed tributary at Mayhew Road, continues downstream to the confluence with Sand Creek and extends further downstream on Sand Creek to Hickory Grove Road. MDEQ recommends people avoid water contact, such as wading or swimming, in this area.
In addition, people should avoid eating fish from this area until further notice, MDEQ said in the release.
The Department of Environmental Quality is working with the owner of the line to repair the leak and to minimize the release of wastewater into the stream. MDEQ staff is also collecting samples from the area to determine the severity and extent of the problem.
The advisory will be lifted when water sampling shows acceptable bacteria levels, according to the DEQ release.
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