Four Families Evacuate When Sewage Floods Greenbriar

at the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission’s (WSSC) Greenbriar Wastewater Pumping Station in Greenbelt, Md., caused four families to be displaced from the Greenbriar Condominiums complex, including two children, according to Julie Cummings, community manager with Condominium Venture Inc. at the Greenbriar location.

“It wasn’t a very pleasant odor," Cummings said when recalling her visit to the property Saturday.

WSSC took responsibility, she said, adding that it was putting all of the families up in hotels until the condominiums were cleaned up and repaired.

Large black garbage bags were piled up behind Greenbriar’s 8017 unit on Monday. Cummings said they contained materials such as drywall and carpet from units 8017 and 8015.

The overflow affected four apartments and some common property that included trash and storage rooms on the bottom floors of those buildings. Twenty-four units within the two buildings are still occupied, according to Cummings.

WSSC issued a statement saying the sanitary sewer overflow occurred from about 12:15 a.m. to 5:45 a.m. on Aug. 6. Lyn Riggins, a spokeswoman for WSSC, reported that approximately 46,000 gallons of sanitary sewer overflow was involved.

“It had not been treated. It was wastewater,” Riggins said.

According to a 2006 Environmental Protection Agency enforcement alert, “Overflows from aging municipal sewer systems expose citizens to bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms that can cause serious illness.” The alert includes the following risks: cholera, dysentery, hepatitis, cryptosporidiosis and giardiasis.

When asked whether residents who remain in the area could face a health risk, Riggins said that WSSC had done what it was supposed to by reporting the situation to the Maryland Department of the Environment and to the Prince George’s County Health Department.

Jay Apperson, a spokesman for the Maryland Department of the Environment, said officials from his office are gathering information on the spill but have not visited the site so far.

At the time of publication, Patch had not heard back from the Prince George’s County Health Department about whether it had examined the Greenbriar overflow locations.

Cummings and Riggins said they were not aware of either organization performing an on-site inspection, but both pointed out that this did not mean there had not been one.

Residents should not be concerned that their drinking water has been affected, since there are no wells in the area, Riggins said.

“We’re always concerned when there’s been a [sanitary sewer overflow] because, unfortunately, it impacts the environment,” Riggins added.