Workers at a Detroit, Michigan, wastewater treatment plant made two calls to police after finding either organs in its processes Friday and Saturday.

The organs were found at the Great Lakes Water Authority’s Water Resource Recovery Facility, and it’s not known at this time whether the organs are human or animal. Finding out could take weeks.

 “We have no further information on what the Detroit Police Department has identified the object to be, or where it entered the waste water system,” Michelle Zdrodowski, a spokeswoman for the water authority, told the Detroit News. “This does not affect the water treatment process.”

Source: The Detroit News

Transmission Line Breaks in Louisville, Much of City Loses Water

Much of Louisville, Kentucky, lost water service or water pressure after a significant water main break last week. The 48-inch, cast-iron water main spilled millions of gallons of water onto city streets.

The break of the transmission line — which feeds water from a water treatment plant in Crescent Hill — caused flooding in the area, damaging vehicles and buildings.

Source: Louisville Business First

Sea Level Rise May Be Problematic for Treatment Plants by 2030

A recent study of the nation’s wastewater treatment plants revealed that the next 1 foot of sea level rise is expected on the coasts as early as 2030. It could leave more than 1.5 million people without sewer service.

For the study, researchers from the University of California-Berkeley looked at a database of wastewater treatment plants and flagged the ones at risk for coastal flooding after a sea-level rise.

“We found that almost all coastal cities in the U.S. will experience some impact if no action is taken to protect them,” environmental engineer and lead researcher Michelle Hummel told Eos. 

Hummel presented the study’s results during a fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union.

Source: Eos

Michigan Township Approves PFAS Filter

The township of Plainfield, Michigan, recently approved going forward with a $400,000 filter to remove perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from its water.

The move was initiated after the recent discovery of groundwater contamination by PFAs in Kent County, which triggered a state investigation and a class-action lawsuit.

Plainfield Township Manager Cameron Van Wyngarden told Michigan Radio that residents are worried.

“Well, we certainly listened to our residents,” she told the news organization. “This is something we’ve been investigating for some time, long before residents started raising their voice about this.”

Source: Michigan Radio