Testing is coming soon for an area southeast of the Emporia Municipal Airport and Emporia Golf Course after the Kansas Department of Health and Environment issued a health-related stream advisory for an intermittent stream Thursday evening.
The stream is an unnamed tributary of Coal Creek, with the affected area south of Road 107 and west of Road M. Here’s Emporia Public Works Director Dean Grant:
KDHE will lift the advisory as soon as samples show no health risk and water contact meets regulation standards.
The biosolid was taken from Emporia’s Waste Water Treatment Plant by a currently unnamed disposal contractor. The amount of material has not been divulged.
Grant says KDHE began investigating after an odor complaint. The main concern was some of the biosolid went into the stream after recent rainfall and some was too close to the stream.
8:40 pm Thursday: Emporia working with disposal contractor after biosolids not stored in accord with federal regulations
The city of Emporia says it is working with a biosolids disposal contractor after the Kansas Department of Health and Environment issued a health-related stream advisory for an intermittent stream south of Emporia.
The city says a hauler had temporarily stored biosolids in a way not in accordance with federal regulations near Roads 107 and M, so it immediately started unspecified actions to resolve the situation. In the meantime, KDHE continues the advisory for an unnamed tributary of Coal Creek.
Residents will be advised of testing and cleanup efforts. KDHE will lift the advisory as soon as samples show no health risk and water contact meets regulation standards.
The city says it strictly adheres to the Code of Federal Regulations Title 40, Section 503 for biosolids disposal. The city also uses contracted haulers to dispose of biosolids “through land application from the Waste Water Treatment Plant.” Contractors must also abide by federal regulations.
7:40 pm Thursday: Stream advisory issued for intermittent tributary of Coal Creek south of Emporia
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has issued a health-related stream advisory for what it calls an “intermittent unnamed tributary” to Coal Creek southeast of the Emporia Municipal Airport.
This affects an area south of Road 107 and west of Road M, or about five miles south of the Emporia southern city limits. KDHE says the advisory stems from mismanagement of “temporary onsite biosolids storage” and was issued because of possible elevated bacteria and contaminants in the stream. Residents near the stream are told not to enter or let their children or pets go to the stream.
Emporia is working with the currently unnamed contractor to resolve the situation. For information, call the Emporia Public Works Department at 620-340-6335.
