Residents Warned to Avoid Lake, Nearby Waterways Due To Sewage Spill: Official

COLUMBIA, MD — The county issued a precautionary health alert Friday afternoon about a sewage overflow that happened behind Watchlight Court in Columbia.

Officials said the sewage overflow, which involved nearly 1.3 million gallons in a townhouse community, was caused by a broken main and asked that people avoid contact with the water behind Watchlight Court and downstream to the Columbia Association's Lake Elkhorn.

"It is also best to keep family pets away from the impacted water," the county stated.

In a news release, the county health department said the sewage overflow lasted more than 30 hours and started Wednesday around noon. It was halted around 6:15 p.m. Thursday.

Crews stopped the overflow and started working to replace the broken 14-inch sewer line in the stream and to repair the stream embankment and pathway in the project area. Work will continue weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the path between Old Montgomery Road and Footed Ridge will be closed. Work on the project should wrap up by July, the county stated.

For questions and/or more information about the overflow, residents can contact HCHD at 410-313-6300. For questions and/or more information about the sewer line repair project, contact public works customer service at 410-313-3440 or email publicworks@howardcountymd.gov.