Warning signs were posted on beaches along the Jersey shore after a broken wastewater pipe leaked 200,000 gallons of partially treated sewage into the sea.
According to Asbury Park Press, the ruptured pipe went unnoticed for four hours before being discovered. The plant is not staffed after 5 p.m. and does not have a notification alarm.
Health officials are not sure if the discharge made the surface of the water unsafe or not, but have posted warning signs just in case. The signs will stay up until the County Health Department is able to test the water.
The sewage was treated with chlorine before leaving the plant, which reduces the health risk.
The spill was caused after a 70-feet steel pipe broke when it fell 5-feet into the belly of a tank. According to Asbury Park Press, it took workers two hours to find the problem and stop the sewage leak.
Source: Asbury Press
