A section of Missouri's Big River is contaminated with human waste because of a failing wastewater treatment plant.
The Leadwood wastewater treatment facility is leaking high levels of E. coli contamination into the river, both upstream and downstream of the plant.
The levels are at least 12 times higher than the amount of E. coli that would trigger Missouri State Parks to post signs telling people not to swim, and the amount of E. coli in the water could be even higher, because the Missouri Department of Natural Resources said the reading was the highest the test will measure.
The DNR said people should avoid contact with the river between the Leadwood Access and Owl Creek Park. The department also said pets and livestock should be kept away from the water, and signage is being posted to communicate that.
State officials had been negotiating with Leadwood since May to find a solution for the aging wastewater system, but the department said the situation is rapidly deteriorating and numerous public complaints brought state officials to Leadwood in recent days to investigate and work to fix the problem.
"Toward the beginning of July, the city's wastewater treatment facility began experiencing significant operational issues," DNR said in a statement. "The department has made more than a dozen visits to the city over the past month to assess the situation and provide compliance assistance."
The department is working with the city to make temporary repairs to stop the current pollution. The nearby city of Bismarck is also helping with repairs and will take some of
Leadwood's excess biosolids. The department's Natural Resource's Financial Assistance Center is exploring funding assistance to help Leadwood buy temporary equipment until it can build a new treatment facility.
"As Leadwood's wastewater problem has become more clear, it has become an all-hands-on-deck operation to quickly address the issue," said DNR Director Kurt Schaefer.
The department said it is also conducting more testing to look for other contaminants that might affect human health or the environment.
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