Sewage Overflow Near Saline County Neighborhood
By: Josh Berry
Updated: January 18, 2013
Over a thousand gallons of sewage filled to the brink are overflowing near a Saline County neighborhood.
Homeowners now wondering how long the hazard has been right under their nose. They're asking now who's responsible.
It took some digging but we tracked down the company in charge but not before we first showed the overflowing mess to a homeowner that lives no more than a football field away.
"That's nasty," said Raymond Robinson. "Bad stuff."
What looks like clear water trickles from the edge of the sewage tank. Experts say it's official name is a lift station.
Though after a closer look under the lid, solid waste packed to the brim fights for open air.
Robinson pointed, "Pretty nasty especially when you got a creek over there that it's all flowing in to."
Robinson lives just down the road in the Saline County neighborhood. His monthly bills include a payment to Benton to take care of sewage.
"That's where the bulk of our water bill comes from."
The city of Benton however insists they have nothing to with the supposedly obsolete tank.
"I can tell you that it is not ours, never has been ours," said Utilities Manager, Terry McKinney. "We've never had anything to do with it."
As of Monday night when we first contacted the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, nothing had been posted in an effort to keep the public away. That changed sometime during the week.
Do they expect a couple of no trespassing signs to keep out a neighborhood full of children?
Robinson explained, "We've got kids that ride bicycles, 4 wheelers and everything else through here every day."
"I don't want my kids in it," added Charity Lock. "They travel the neighborhood, they love to explore, and I don't want them near it."
Lock had no clue what looks like raw sewage flowed freely right in her own neighborhood.
"It's really gross," she said while watching a video of it.
With three kids who run around the neighborhood, two small signs and some caution tape doesn't seem to ease her mind.
"They might not even notice something like that."
Our work through the ADEQ first brought this to light. We tracked the owners down to the Central Arkansas Utilities Services. They say it's ground water forcing the waste over the top and while they had plans in place to remove the entire system in the coming weeks -- they're gonna go ahead and pump out the waste this weekend.
Homeowners now wondering how long the hazard has been right under their nose. They're asking now who's responsible.
It took some digging but we tracked down the company in charge but not before we first showed the overflowing mess to a homeowner that lives no more than a football field away.
"That's nasty," said Raymond Robinson. "Bad stuff."
What looks like clear water trickles from the edge of the sewage tank. Experts say it's official name is a lift station.
Though after a closer look under the lid, solid waste packed to the brim fights for open air.
Robinson pointed, "Pretty nasty especially when you got a creek over there that it's all flowing in to."
Robinson lives just down the road in the Saline County neighborhood. His monthly bills include a payment to Benton to take care of sewage.
"That's where the bulk of our water bill comes from."
The city of Benton however insists they have nothing to with the supposedly obsolete tank.
"I can tell you that it is not ours, never has been ours," said Utilities Manager, Terry McKinney. "We've never had anything to do with it."
As of Monday night when we first contacted the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, nothing had been posted in an effort to keep the public away. That changed sometime during the week.
Do they expect a couple of no trespassing signs to keep out a neighborhood full of children?
Robinson explained, "We've got kids that ride bicycles, 4 wheelers and everything else through here every day."
"I don't want my kids in it," added Charity Lock. "They travel the neighborhood, they love to explore, and I don't want them near it."
Lock had no clue what looks like raw sewage flowed freely right in her own neighborhood.
"It's really gross," she said while watching a video of it.
With three kids who run around the neighborhood, two small signs and some caution tape doesn't seem to ease her mind.
"They might not even notice something like that."
Our work through the ADEQ first brought this to light. We tracked the owners down to the Central Arkansas Utilities Services. They say it's ground water forcing the waste over the top and while they had plans in place to remove the entire system in the coming weeks -- they're gonna go ahead and pump out the waste this weekend.
