EAU CLAIRE, WI (WSAU) Crews could begin work to replace the broken sewer pipe that sent millions of gallons of waste into the Eau Claire and Chippewa rivers in about two weeks. The EPA has signed off the project and the Wisconsin DNR has issued the necessary permit.
City managers say the pipe likely burst in September of last year, but Eau Claire officials didn’t discover the problem until July of this year. The state is still investigating how the pipe broke. It’s thought that a barge what was doing work on a sea wall broke free during a storm. The barge’s anchor hit the pipe several times and caused it to crack.
It had been dumping sewage into the rivers for months before the problem was discovered. A temporary pipe has been in place since the summer.
Determining what caused the initial pipe break is important because it determines who will pay for the damage. The city says the repair costs will be over $340,000.
The MetroSource news wire contributed to this report.
