ANN ARBOR (WWJ) - Two sewage spills forced Washtenaw Community College to close after thousands of gallons of untreated waste leaked at the end of October — now officials say long-term repairs must be made to prevent a third.
The Ann Arbor college installed a new pipe after sanitary leaks plagued the campus on Oct. 28 and Nov. 7, effectively shutting down in-person operations for several days, but officials are working on a permanent solution to resolve the issue before it happens again.
Jim Becsey, vice president of facilities development and operations, said in a statement via Mlive that the first leak was found by facility staff near the Damon Flowers Building on the west side of campus.
The college reopened one day after the incident.
The second leak was also found in the same area ten days later. The leak was discovered at 4:30 p.m. and wasn't contained until 7:30 p.m. Campus operations were disrupted for two days over the spill and subsequent repairs.
Becsey said the leaks did cause sewage to ran-off into the campus storm water retention system which discharges into the Swift Run Creek in Ann Arbor, as well as cause a small amount of ponding on a nearby roadway.
“The line immediately was shut off and leaks were contained,” Becsey added.
Officials closed the campus in both incidents to make short-term repairs. All classes and events happening in-person were canceled, but virtual and clinical classes continued as normal.
Both areas of the affected sanitary line were replaced with a new pipe, but officials say more work is needed to stop future leaks.
“WCC is also moving forward with a long-term solution to replace the entire sanitary pipe system,” Becsey said.
Both spills were reported to the the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy and the Washtenaw County Health Department.
Becsey vowed that campus officials and contractors will diligently inspect the entire pipe system for leaks.
“We have worked with mechanical contractors to scope and inspect the interior integrity of the existing sanitary pipe system,” he added.