Mop head and greasy rubber object plugs sewer line in Taylor County

Iowa Department of Natural Resources

NEW MARKET – A plugged sewer line in the city of New Market was cleared and operation returned to normal shortly after 1 p.m. yesterday, reports the DNR.

The 8-inch sewer line was plugged by a mop head and an unidentified hard rubber object about six inches in diameter covered with grease and other materials.

“Folks must reconsider what they put into the wastewater system,” said Daniel Olson, DNR environmental specialist. “This caused more than 23,000 gallons of untreated wastewater to be discharged into the west fork of Hundred and Two River before the discharge was discovered and a pump obtained to help resolve the problem.”

City workers borrowed a pump and sewer jetting equipment from the city of Bedford to divert water from further up the sewer line directly into the New Market treatment lagoon so that the line could be unplugged.

Source: Iowa DNR