(ITHACA, NY, August 22, 2019) – The Tompkins County Health Department (TCHD) was informed that a release from the Cayuga Heights Wastewater Treatment Plant at 951 East Shore Drive was discovered late last night. The discharge was stopped by approximately 3:30 a.m. this morning. It is estimated that approximately 1000 gallons of supernatant was released from the sludge digestors at the plant. Supernatant is the liquid over the settled solids in the digestors. The liquid was observed in the roadway ditch flowing south before entering a culvert. The Village of Cayuga Heights is working with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) on cleanup of the ditch. Cayuga Heights reported that the NYSDEC saw no evidence of a plume where the culvert entered Cayuga Lake.
The Tompkins County Health Department wants members of the public who could be drinking untreated water or who swim in the lake to be aware of the discharge.
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