ANN ARBOR – The city of Ann Arbor announced on Tuesday afternoon that the temporary shutdown of all lanes of S. Main Street on Monday was a result of a sanitary sewer overflow.
According to the city, a contractor was working on a sanitary sewer relining project in the mid morning when it experienced a by-pass pumping failure. As a result, an estimated 10,000 gallons of sanitary sewage was released onto South Main Street.
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The sewage ran into a storm drain, until it was eventually discharged into Allen Creek and the Huron River.
“The by-pass operation was being done to divert the sanitary sewer while the contractor cleaned the sewer main in advance of lining the pipe,” reads a news release. “The pump was shut off as soon as possible after the pipe failed.”
All lanes of South Main Street were temporarily closed as a result until the contractor and the City of Ann Arbor Public Works staff could clean up the spill.
The contractor will be charged with all costs to the city related to the incident. The project has now been put on hold pending investigation to ensure the contractor has adequate contingency and safety measures in place before resuming work.
City of Ann Arbor staff notified the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, in observance of regulatory protocols.