Eddyville Sewer Treatment Plant releases 800k gallons of partially treated sewage
EDDYVILLE, Ky., (KBSI) — A catastrophic failure occurred Monday at the City of Eddyville Sewer Treatment Plant, releasing approximately 800,000 gallons of partially treated sewage into the environment.
The failure happened at 4 p.m. CST in the Sequential Batch Reactor Tank, with initial estimates suggesting 400,000 gallons were released. Emergency response agencies and the Kentucky Emergency Operations Center in Frankfort were notified immediately.
Downstream and upstream water treatment plants on Lake Barkley, including those serving the City of Kuttawa, Kentucky State Penitentiary, Lake Barkley Water, City of Princeton Water and Crittenden/Livingston Water District, were alerted by the Kentucky Environmental Protection Agency’s Division of Water and Waste Management.
Emergency response agencies are on scene, taking proactive measures to treat incoming sewage.
The City of Eddyville is working to finalize a short-term solution Tuesday, with meetings scheduled to discuss long-term plans.
Drinking water in Lyon County and surrounding areas is currently unaffected, officials said.
The City of Eddyville is receiving assistance from the Kentucky Environmental Protection Agency, Kentucky Rural Water Association, Lyon County Emergency Management and the Lyon County Road Department.
Questions can be directed to Mayor Greg Greene or Lyon County Judge/Executive Jaime Smith, public information officer, at Greg.greene@eddyvilleky.org or lyoncountyjudge@gmail.com.
A letter from Mayor Greg Greene-
January 8, 2025 Update
At this time we still do not know exactly why the sequential batch reactor failed.
The structural engineer was on scene yesterday. To know exactly what caused the failure would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and up to a year.
The engineer is going to send us a letter in regard to factors which could have caused it to fail.
The temporary waste water treatment has been on online since 2 p.m. yesterday. Blue Tank will start up today January 9 for the long term solution.
Anticipation of being online at the end of next week depending on weather conditions.
Mayor Greg Greene
Judge Executive Jaime Smith
