Sewage Spill Closes Waterway To Anne Arundel County Swimmers: Health Department

GLEN BURNIE, MD — A sewage spill at a Glen Burnie apartment complex closed the neighboring waterway to swimmers for one week, health officials announced Monday.

Direct water contact is prohibited for Marley Creek between Brewers Island and Marley Creek Drive, the Anne Arundel County Department of Health said. Water sports are also not allowed.

The spill happened at the Gatewater Landing apartments, a waterway closure announcement said.

Don Curtian, the county's director of environmental health, said the leak stemmed from a pump failure at the apartments.

Curtian said the pump is owned and operated by the apartment complex, and the property is unsure how long the pump was inactive.

"It is owned by Gatewater Landing and it is their responsibility to manage it," Curtian told Patch in a Tuesday interview. "The management company cannot tell us how long the pump was not operational."

The Department of Health therefore doesn't know how many gallons leaked.

Curtian said up to 10,000 gallons may have spilled or "It could have been as little as 50 gallons. We don't know."

Health officials planned for the worst and closed part of Marley Creek to ensure swimmers don't wade into contaminated waters.

This map shows where officials said the leak happened.