Sewage spilled in Hayden

A sewer main break discovered Friday released roughly 100 gallons of raw sewage onto the road at a busy Hayden intersection.

At 7:05 a.m., city of Hayden personnel notified the Hayden Area Regional Sewer Board of the incident at Honeysuckle Avenue and Fourth Street.

Traffic was rerouted around the affected area for about 90 minutes while the raw sewage was removed and the area was disinfected.

"We had sewage bubbling up through cracks in the pavement," said Ken Windram, spokesman for HARSB. "...what came apart or broke, we don't know."

Construction activities on Honeysuckle west of U.S. 95 are not believed to be involved in the cause of the sewage release.

Windram said no excavating was done Friday to remedy the situation because the sewer board has another line it can use to bypass and isolate the line that was leaking. Additional examination will be conducted, he said.

A December 2014 sewage release of about 100,000 gallons occurred roughly 100 yards west of Friday's release. According to hydrogeological evaluations in this area, the December 2014 release had zero-to-minimal impact on drinking water. Since Friday's sewage release was much smaller, it is not expected to have any adverse affect on drinking water.

"The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality has been contacted, is apprised of all findings and is in concurrence with our response to the release," stated the sewer board's announcement of the incident. "They will be given written follow-up information which is customary after incidents like these."