If you think it?s a good idea to wash your kitchen grease down the drain, think again.
About 25,000 gallons of sewage spilled into a Glen Burnie street and nearby creek earlier this week after a greasy buildup in a service line caused a giant clog.
“The spill is a nasty reminder that people need to dispose of their grease properly,” said Pam Jordan, a spokesman with the Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works.
At first department workers thought a mere 10,000 gallons of sewage overflowed on March 13 near the Rippling Estates housing development. When they started cleaning up the mess, they discovered that 25,000 gallons of sewage actually spilled.
Workers treated area with lime, and the Anne Arundel County Department of Health warned residents about coming in contact with any water in the area.
“Ingestion or contact with wastewater can cause gastrointestinal problems, in some cases serious,” health department spokesman Elin Jones said. “Signs can stay up from three days to weeks depending on the level of contamination.”
Health officials also are keeping an eye turned to local waterways after the sewage spilled into an area creek.
“Marley Creek has been closed for 20 years for high bacteria content, and it?s good that it wasn?t affected,” Jones aid. “However, sewage did get in a little creek that isn?t a tributary. It was a significant spill, and I am not blaming our consumers, but people need to remember not to pour grease down their drains,” Jordan said.
