Crews Continue Investigation Into Sewer Blockage

Crews plan to work late Thursday night attempting to narrow down the cause of a blocked sewer line, which caused sewage to backup near a Brown Deer Road garden center. 

At 7 Thursday morning, crews began investigating the blocked sewer near the Bayside Garden Center. As of 5 p.m., Bayside and Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District were still attempting to find the cause of the blocked line, Village Manager Andy Pederson said. Pederson told Patch crews expect to continue work until 2 a.m. 

Crews are pumping wastewater out of sanitary sewer line and into a manhole down the block in an effort to clear the pipe and investigate the blockage. Once they have the line cleared, crews can use cameras to find the cause, Pederson explained.

Officials believe a blocked or collapsed sewer line is to blame for the backup, but Pederson said the village has received some 6 to 7 inches of rain over the past week, and the line may just need to be cleared out. 

Pederson said if crews weren't taking efforts to clear the sewer line, it could cause an estimated 500 homes to experience sewer backups in basements. 

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