The source of the dark and murky water in a stormwater drainage ditch near the North Raccoon River in Jefferson has been identified.
The DNR field office in Atlantic was notified March 26 of dark colored water observed in a stormwater ditch in Daubendiek Park on the southwest corner of Jefferson. The ditch drains into the North Raccoon River.
DNR field staff responded to the incident, and upon arrival observed multiple pockets of discolored water in the ditch. City staff constructed a berm in the stormwater ditch to prevent contamination from reaching the river, and pumped nearly 6,000 gallons of contaminated water out of the ditch.
On Friday, March 28, DNR staff received a phone call from a resident who reported seeing a Sloan Plumbing, Heating, A/C, and Septic vehicle dumping wastewater from its tank into a manhole at the north end of Kelso Park, uphill to the northeast of Daubendiek Park.
Jefferson city officials and the Greene County sheriff’s office contacted Chad Sloan, owner of Sloan Septic, for more information. Sloan stated he directed one of his employees to dump in a manhole at that location due to the normal dumpsite being locked by construction at the wastewater treatment plant.
The employee unknowingly chose the storm sewer manhole instead of the wastewater collection system manhole. It is estimated that nearly 1,000 gallons of septic waste were dumped into the storm sewer system.
The DNR has the power to levy a fine in such instances. According to Jefferson city administrator Scott Peterson, no fine will be levied against Sloan Septic.
The Iowa DNR, Jefferson public works and the Greene County sheriff’s office thanked the public for helping to identify the source of the contaminated water.
