The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is investigating a waste discharge near the Whiting Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The DNR was notified last Friday that a clay tile line was discharging into a ditch near the Whiting’s wastewater plant.
DNR staff found a tile line discharging sewer waste into the Candless-Cleghorn ditch, which runs into Guard Lake.
It’s estimated that approximately 50 gallons per minute were being discharged into the ditch.
The DNR says it is unknown how long the discharge has been taking place or whether it is connected to the city’s wastewater treatment plant.
Whiting city officials plan to cap the tile line with concrete within the next 48 hours, which should stop the bypass into the ditch.
They also plan to hire consultants to identify the origin of the tile line and what it may be connected to.
