The following is a press release from the City of Grand Island:
Grand Island, Neb.-The City of Grand Island's sanitary sewer collection system and wastewater treatment plant have made significant progress since the storms on June 7 and June 8 but flows in the collection system and the wastewater treatment plant are still elevated.
The treatment plant peaked at over 40 million gallons per day (MGD) and today it is just over 21 MGD. Portions of the collection system that were submerged are now running normally.
The emergency pumps that were installed at lift stations #19 and #7 have helped the stations catch up from the overload that was caused by infiltration and inflow from high groundwater levels and the significant rainfalls. The emergency pump for lift station #19 was started at 7:20 p.m. on Tuesday, June 10 and was shut-off at 10:20 p.m. on Wednesday, June 11.
The City of Grand Island appreciates the water conservation efforts of the community these last few days which helped reduce the load on the sanitary sewer system. At this time, residents can ease up on their conservation efforts. Do essential laundry only, take short showers, and hand wash dishes. Assuming there will not be significant rainfall over the weekend the water conservation recommendations will be lifted on Monday.
Residents are reminded that the discharge from their individual basement dewatering system should not be put into the sanitary sewer system as it is illegal by City Code. The sanitary sewer system was not designed to accommodate this water and it only adds to the overload on the system.
Residents are also reminded that storm water runoff is not clean water and is not safe for human contact. Residents should not be standing in or swimming in the storm water outfalls.
In addition, residents that are working in and around flooded areas and in basements where a sanitary sewer backup has occurred are encouraged to make sure they have a current tetanus shot. The Central District Health Department can provide further guidance.
