Official: Flood Water Contains Sewage, Industrial Waste

Flooded water caused by a Nor'easter passing through New England is actually a combination of rainwater, sewage and industrial waste

The water commissioner in Lynn, Massachusetts, says that flooded water caused by a Nor'easter passing through New England is actually a combination of rainwater, sewage and industrial waste.

Drivers had to navigate through or around deep water, some even getting stuck.

One woman driving her niece and nephew to school became stuck in high water on Commercial Avenue.

"This is sewage flows from households. It's contaminant, E. coli, other things from food establishments," said Commissioner David Ellis of Lynn Water and Sewer. 

Davis Ellis said the issue is part of a larger problem that has been an issue for Lynn for years. He says it will cost about $110 million to correct, causing controversy in the city.

"Part of the project is we're going to separate those lines so that we have a separate line for that," Ellis said. "People are getting this also in their basements within the households in the area and that's a hazard that needs to be remediated quickly."

People are urged not to drive through the water and to keep children out of it as it is dangerous.

Nearby in Peabody, Massachusetts, school was closed in anticipation of flooding. 

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