ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MI – People should avoid part of the St. Joseph River after about 500,000 gallons of wastewater flowed into the river.
The 500,000 gallons of untreated wastewater, including fecal matter, started spilling into the river around 9:30 p.m., Friday, July 7, the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency said in a news release Monday, July 10.
A main broke near the Broadway Street Bridge, just east of downtown Three Rivers. People should avoid the river from there south to “at least Constantine,” the release said. After Constantine, the St. Joseph River flows through South Bend, Indiana, back into Michigan through St. Joseph and out into Lake Michigan.
The release did not say when the wastewater discharge was detected and stopped.
Any contact with the river should be avoided, including fishing, kayaking, swimming, tubing and canoeing, the release said. People should keep their animals out of the river as well.
The no-contact advisory is in place until water sampling shows the coliform levels are back to normal.
Anyone who has been in the St. Joseph River since 9:30 p.m. Friday should shower and wash their clothing, the release said. Pets should also be given a bath if they were in contact with the water.
There are numerous infectious diseases that can come from contact with fecal coliform, the release said.
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