A thunderstorm that roared through the area Thursday afternoon caused a manhole at the Browns Ferry Marina to overflow with raw sewage for more than 12 hours.
Terry Schrimpser, who oversees the marina, said today that he was told that the storm created power problems at the Moccasin Bend Sewage Treatment plant, which led to the overflow.
Schrimpser said he called city and state officials several times on Friday and Saturday but only got recordings. He said he reached someone with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources agency on Sunday, who sent officials out to take a look and order cleanup.
No official statement has been made by any state or city agency.
The overflow stopped on its own after 12 hours, Schrimpsher said.
On Friday morning, people who live onboard their boats at the marina said they woke up to find fish struggling at the surface of the water. By Friday evening, the fish were dying and floating to the surface, they said.
Marion Environmental Inc. of Dalton, Ga., has been contracted to remove dead fish from the water and spray a dispersent on the raw sewage to make it sink to the bottom.
For complete details, see tomorrow’s Times Free Press.