Weekend sewage spills pumped more than 900,000 gallons of wastewater into two local creeks, and Gainesville Regional Utilities is now testing the water quality.
A leak Friday morning and a broken pipe joint Saturday let wastewater flow into Hogtown Creek and Possum Creek, said GRU spokeswoman Amelia Bell.
The system was repaired at about 9 p.m. Saturday. The situation was rare, and the pipe was new, she said. It was a failure on the part of the equipment, she said.
GRU is now working to figure out what went wrong, she said, so it can test or check other parts of its system. The creek water will be safe in about three to five days, she said. Meanwhile, residents should avoid the creeks.
Paul Chadik, a UF associate professor of environmental engineering sciences, said the wastewater could have contaminated the creeks with bacteria and viruses. He advised well owners to boil water before drinking.
Because of the rapid water flow and high oxygen levels in the creeks, Chadik said aquatic life will not be in danger.
Chadik said the spill was not preventable, and GRU responded relatively quickly.
