Odor complaint leads to manhole full of random debris and backed up sewer 

BLACKFOOT — Wastewater crews successful Blackfoot responded to an odor title and discovered debris that didn’t beryllium wrong a manhole, which caused immoderate problems pinch nan sewer. 

Crews responded connected Thursday, Aug. 22, aft 1 p.m. adjacent nan area of Court Street and Rich Street. 

Wastewater Collections Supervisor Jeffrey West said he pulled a lid disconnected a manhole and saw it was backed up. 

“I noticed a elephantine character trunk and a large branch. The trunk was astir apt 200 pounds. We recovered immense chunks of asphalt and a bunch of mini branches,” West said. 

The debris blocked nan sewer’s flow, backing up nan sewer for complete half a mile. 

West told EastIdahoNews.com it took astir 4 hours to clear retired nan debris. 

He said connected nan aforesaid day, different manhole had 2 ample character branches successful it arsenic well, but it was not plugging nan drain area. 

West and Wastewater Superintendent Rex Moffat judge that personification purposefully did this. 

“They would person to assistance nan manhole lid disconnected to beryllium capable to get them successful there. They are astir 80 pounds of coagulated steel,” said Moffat. 

According to metropolis ordinance, Moffat said it’s forbidden for anybody but a metropolis worker to unfastened a manhole. Click here to publication nan ordinance. It besides states really it’s unlawful to put garbage, rubbish, dormant animals, aliases immoderate constituent that tends to obstruct nan sewer travel successful immoderate manhole.

From a rule enforcement standpoint, Capt. Wes Wheatley pinch nan Blackfoot Police Department said a metropolis ordinance references harm to h2o infrastructure aliases meters. 

In this case, he said, if nan harm is caused by nan blocked pipes, it could beryllium a usurpation of malicious wounded successful Idaho Code. Depending connected nan costs of nan damage, it could beryllium a misdemeanor aliases felony. 

Both West and Moffat said if group successful nan organization spot personification opening a sewer manhole, they should study it and, if possible, get a explanation of nan individual and a licence sheet number to forestall this from happening again. 

Luckily, nobody’s location was flooded successful this incident, but location could beryllium consequences if location were. 

“There could beryllium anyplace from $10,000 to $100,000 successful damages done to people’s houses if a basement sewage flooded aliases aggregate basements,” Moffat said.