Fish die after more than 773,000 gallons of raw sewage released into Lexington creek
More than 773,000 gallons of raw sewage was released into East Hickman Creek in Fayette County on Monday, which resulted in a fish kill Tuesday afternoon.
The city said in a news release that the untreated sewage was discharged when a contractor for the city struck a pressurized sewage pipe Monday morning while working on the East Hickman Pump Station replacement.
Charles Martin, director of the city’s Division of Water Quality, said the discharge would not affect sources of drinking water, and the creek is not used for water activities such as kayaking or swimming in that area.
The pipe was repaired Monday, and water quality monitoring began, the city said in a news release. Martin said oxygen levels were normal until Tuesday afternoon, when low oxygen levels were detected in part of the creek.
Martin said about 50 fish were found dead.
“With the dry weather we’ve had recently, the discharge of sewage can cause the oxygen in the creek to drop,” Martin said in a news release.
The city said it is working with the Kentucky Division of Water to find ways to mitigate the damage and raise oxygen levels in the water.
Martin said a source had been found that would allow more water to be introduced into the stream.
This story was originally published June 16, 2020 at 5:53 PM.
