The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality issued an emergency order, signed Friday, to stop the West Fork wastewater treatment plant from leaking more sewage discharge into the White River.
The White River is used as a drinking water source, for recreation and for other uses, according to the order.
Under state law, the environmental agency's director can issue emergency orders "in such circumstances that reasonably require emergency measures to be taken to protect the environment or the public health and safety," according to an email from Katherine Benenati, spokeswoman for the environmental agency.
A spokeswoman from the state Health Department said previously officials are concerned about the leaking sewage from the plant into water that leads to the river.
City officials said last week most of that liquid was rainwater.
The new emergency order mandates the city clean up the waste, stop the discharge and tell the state in writing what steps are planned to fix the problem and clean it up.
Mayor Charlie Rossetti said Monday he knew an emergency order was coming after talking with the agency last week. All issues brought up by the state are being addressed, he said.
"The leakage that they are concerned about at the treatment plant for the sewage system is being dealt with," Rossetti said. "Crews are checking that several times a day. I think they are handling this very well."
Rossetti referred specific questions about what action is being taken to Michael "Butch" Bartholomew, city utilities superintendent. Bartholomew did not return a message left at his office by 2 p.m. Monday.
State inspectors went to the treatment plant first on April 2 when they found raw sewage leaking without any signs of anyone trying to stop the problem, according to the emergency order. Samples taken and analyzed showed "conditions require immediate action," the report said. Inspectors visited April 3, 7, 8 and 9 last week.
During the last visit, inspectors saw that the discharge was still happening, according to the order. Some of the solids had been removed, but the inspector "noted no other abatement or remediation" efforts, according to the order. That same week, Bartholomew said fixes were being made to stop the leak.
The state environmental department doesn't announce when it plans inspections, Benenati wrote.
"We are keeping a close eye on the situation," Benenati wrote.
NW News on 04/15/2014