Face masks were the cause of a 300 gallon wastewater spill in Chattahoochee, says the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
According to the report issued by the department, on Thursday, June 3, at around 9 p.m., raw untreated wastewater was observed flowing out through a manhole cover that is located on the corner of Main Street and Engineer Road.
The department stated in their report, which was released late last week, that engineers had discovered the leak was due to pipes that were clogged with surgical and N-95 face masks that had been improperly discarded.
The pipes serviced Florida State Hospital and the department states that the masks, also, had likely come from the hospital.
Hospital staff were able to remove the clog in the pipes with a jetter machine, and normal pipe flow was restored shortly after 10 p.m. – but not before 300 gallons of wastewater had spilled into the surrounding area.
According to the Florida Department of Environmental Protections, Chattahoochee’s nearby Mosquito Creek has been affected by this leak.
Ashley Hunter – editor@gadsdencountytimes.com
