A sewer line near KY 536 broke Sunday, spilling untreated wastewater into Banklick Creek. Crews have responded to the spill and contained the overflow, but cleanup mitigation is ongoing.
A Sunday social media post from the Banklick Watershed Council, which contained photos of the spill, indicated the break occurred near KY 536 and the Battleridge subdivision in Independence. Sanitation District 1 confirmed the spill to LINK nky Monday, adding that crews had responded to the spill Sunday afternoon. Crews installed bypass pumps to contain the overflow, and the agency is currently engaged in remediation efforts to clean up the creek.
SD1 attributed the break to the pipe’s age.
“The damaged line is an aging sewer pipe installed in the 1980s,” SD1’s media statement reads. “Addressing aging sewer lines is why SD1 is making significant investments to replace aging infrastructure and improve the reliability of our wastewater system.”
The Watershed Council is recommending that people in the area avoid the creek and take measures to prevent pets from drinking from the waterway, entering the creek and moving around on its banks. SD1 is recommending that both people and pets avoid the area for at least 72 hours.
Sanitation District 1 said more information would be released as it became available.