Mississippi Delta City's 2-Year-Old Sewer Line Fails

GREENWOOD, Miss. (AP) — A Mississippi delta city is being asked to declare a state of emergency after a sewer line has separated.

The Greenwood Commonwealth reports that a 24-inch (61-centimeter) underground sewer line has separated in Greenwood, causing a section of road between the city’s wastewater treatment plant and Leflore County Humane Society to cave in.

The line was installed during the wastewater treatment plant’s $40 million construction just two years ago.

Repairs are expected to begin Friday. Until then, affected roads have been blocked off and alternative routes established.

The city’s Wastewater Division Director Eddie Curry says the city has installed a pump to bypass the water from the line so residents are not affected. Without the bypass, over 35 percent of Greenwood residents would be impacted.