A sewage spill has taken place at the Bogue Chitto River, according to the St. Tammany Parish government. The sewage water is in fact 6 million gallons of storm water, and it was released into the East Branch of the river via Brookhaven, Mississippi.
Residents are urged not to swim in the water or go near it, as there might be issues in terms of bacteria and other problems that could affect citizens. A water quality test has been done, and the parish council members will monitor this test to come to a conclusion on what to do.
"Because of this release of raw sewage into the river, we are advising citizens that contact with the water could present a health risk," according to state health officer, Dr. Jimmy Guidry. "Although all waterways will have some level of contamination, this sewage release has the possibility of elevating the levels of bacteria. People should take precautions to lessen their chance of getting sick from exposure to the water."
To prove how much of an issue this could be, the state Department of Health and the Department of Environmental Quality issued a warning for the entire length of the river in Louisiana due to possible dangerous contamination.
According to a report from The Advocate, the city of Brookhaven sewage plant suffered a levee breach, which gave way to the leak. The infected water is expected to hit the Louisiana section of the river by Sunday. Right now, the good news is the fact that the leak is under control, so it shouldn't spread a lot farther down.
Bear in mind that swallowing the water could lead to throat problems, stomach cramps, diarrhea or even worse. Citizens have been asked to watch over the children and the elderly since they might be more likely to come in contact with the sewage water. Due to a weaker immune system, the water could be deadly for them, especially if they have other sickness that might react badly to the bacteria in the water.
Earlier this year, Seal Beach and Long Beach in California were both closed due to sewage leakage after a line was damaged, spilling 2.4 million gallons of untreated waste into the Los Angeles River. However, it didn't take long for Seal Beach to become operational again, but Long Beach had to wait a while before citizens and tourists alike were permitted to resume using it.
