Millions of gallons of raw sewage pours into N.C. river
ASHEVILLE, N.C. Officials say about 7 million of gallons of raw sewage has spilled into the French Broad River near Asheville after a pump failed at a treatment plant.
Workers with the Metropolitan Sewerage District stopped the leak around 3 p.m. Tuesday.
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Officials say a connecting piece failed on a pump that was being replaced around 8 a.m., causing the spill that pumped about one million gallons of raw sewage an hour into the river. Workers pumped out about 30 feet of water to get to the problem.
The district notified the state Water Quality Division and the town of Woodfin.
The station is about a mile upstream from a popular recreation area for kayakers. The French Broad riverkeeper recommended that people stay out of the river for at least 48 hours.
Katie Hicks of non-profit organization Clean Water for North Carolina told CBS affiliate WSPA she's worried about the wildlife in the river because the sewage can affect oxygen levels.
"There's going to be a lot of bacteria, and anything else, you know, people flush down the toilet," said Katie Hicks.