Thanks to an abundance of rain and snow since Friday, the St. Louis River has recovered after untreated sewage spilled into it between Carlton and Scanlon on Friday, according to Jack Ezell, manager of planning and technical services at the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District (WLSSD).
An unknown amount of sewage ran into Slaughterhouse Creek and ultimately into the St. Louis River on Friday afternoon. Ezell said that a Carlton resident noticed the spillage while walking and called to report it.
"Once we heard about it, it was fairly simply to fix," he said. "The most difficult part was calling in a truck from Twig that nearly slid off the road with the icy weather conditions."
WLSSD said it responded to the valve at 4:20 p.m. and had the line back in service by 9:15 p.m.
Rags had apparently clogged a sewer line valve, forcing it to remain open.
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"It's a good reminder not to flush rags of any kind down a toilet," he said.
WLSSD workers have been cleaning up after the spill and monitoring the St. Louis River's water quality this week. The river has returned to normal levels, Ezell said. They will report it to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency as well.
"It's the first time I've ever heard of a situation like this," he said. "We're trying to determine how the rags got in there," Ezell said.
Residents with questions or concerns can call WLSSD at 722-3336, extension 01.
