A sewer overflow incident began Thursday afternoon in Rockport, Massachusetts, and continued into the night.
A sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) began Thursday at around 2 p.m. at the Dock Square Pump Station, according to the town administrator, who also confirmed that outflow from the overflow was entering the stormwater system, which discharges into Sandy Bay.
By around 10:45 p.m., the town said that the pump station was back in service, and the sanitary sewer overflow had been abated around 6:30 p.m. Crews had worked to continue pumping until just before 9 p.m., and were expected to be on site throughout the night to monitor things.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says that sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) cause the release of untreated or partially treated sewage. According to the EPA, SSOs carry health risks, and can be caused by a number of reasons, including equipment failures and inappropriate materials being sent to the sewers.
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More information about the incident is expected to be released on Friday.
