MASON CITY, Iowa – A sewer line collapse is causing Mason City to pump untreated wastewater into the Winnebago River.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says repairs on a collapsed sewer line in the 300 block of South Rhode Island Avenue could not be completed on Friday and work will not resume until Monday. That is causing sewage to discharge into a storm sewer that outlets in the Winnebago River near the softball complex on 2nd Street NE.
The DNR says this is affecting neighborhoods east from South Virginia Avenue to South Kentucky Avenue and south from Highway 122 to 15th Street SE, an area about three blocks wide and 11 blocks long.
Children and pets should stay away from the riverbanks near the discharge until 24 hours after repairs are completed. The DNR says it continues to monitor the situation.
