Pueblo officials warn neighbors of untreated sewage that went into Arkansas River Thursday morning

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) -- The City of Pueblo Wastewater Department (CPWD) says an unplanned discharge of untreated sewage went into the Arkansas River near Confluence Park earlier today.

According to officials, CPWD informed state officials as well as users and neighbors of the river of the incident and is working to avoid any future health or environmental concerns.

According to officials, discharge like this can cause contamination by harmful bacteria and affect local aquatic life and the ecosystem if it isn't treated properly.

"We need to notify the public of the untreated discharge issue in the Arkansas River so that water users, recreation individuals and more can avoid the area,” Director of Wastewater Andra Ahrens said in a press release. “We recommend careful consideration over the next 48 to 72 hours to avoid any contamination concerns.”

Officials say state and Pueblo city stormwater officials were notified early Thursday of the discharge and stopped the issue by 11:45 a.m. They say a wastewater pipe inside of a stormwater pipe had a hole cut in it several years ago that was patched with concrete at the time. Over the years, the concrete slipped and the hole reopened, city officials say.

City officials say the pressure in the sanitary sewer pipe caused untreated wastewater to come out of the hole and flow into the stormwater pipe. That stormwater pipe then flows into the Arkansas River.

Officials are now warning those who use the river for things like fishing and kayaking to avoid any downstream activities through Monday, Aug. 31. They say the the following communities could be impacted:

• Avondale
• Boone
• Fowler
• Manzanola
• Rocky Ford
• Swink
• La Junta
• Las Animas

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