Prison sewage overflow stinks up Lincoln neighborhood

In recent weeks, residents living north of the Lincoln Correctional Center may have noticed a bad smell in their neighborhood.

“It just was really strong and we could tell it was probably like some kind of sewer smell,” Amber Richardson said.

It turns out it was a sewer smell, one coming from a sewage spill on the Lincoln Correctional Center’s land on West Van Dorn St.

According to documents from the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality, there were two blockages in the correctional center’s sewer line, causing it to overflow out of a manhole and dump into a nearby pond.

The documents said the sewage spill stopped on Jan. 18, but that the sewage flowed north toward a creek and a neighborhood.

Residents said they noticed a foul smell for days.

Richardson is a mother and babysitter who lives near a stream.

“It wasn’t going away, so my husband and I went around the neighborhood just to try to see where the smell was coming from,” Richardson said.  “We could smell it really strong, like near the waterways.”

NDEQ said there likely won’t be permanent impacts.  They said they’re not sure about the short term and that they’re waiting to get the results from water samples the corrections center took.  They said it could potentially harm humans if they ingest the water or swim in it.

The good news is they don’t think it could wind up in the tap water.

Richardson said it’s good to finally know where the smell was coming from and that it’s gone, but that she hopes it doesn’t happen again.

“This is a family neighborhood,” she said.  “It’s calm and clean and, you know, we just want to keep it that way.”

NDEQ said the Nebraska Department of Corrections faces two violations, including for failing to keep a collection system cleared and for the spill impacting the smell and appearance of the water.

The Department of Corrections released a statement saying:

“The leak into the pond near the Lincoln Correctional Center was observed by a maintenance worker from LCC. City of Lincoln Waste Water, Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Environmental Quality were all notified. Very quickly, the source of the leak was identified. Since that time, crews have been brought in to inspect, clear and repair the pipes involved. Work has continued to ensure the site is cleaned up.  Sewage never got into the Lincoln Correctional Center and the discharge was limited to the grounds of the facility. The area where the leak occurred is a large tract of land also occupied by the Diagnostic and Evaluation Center, Community Corrections Center Lincoln and Federal Surplus. None of the buildings were impacted. The area is not normally traveled or open to public access. NDCS appreciates the cooperation and efforts by the Department of Environmental Quality to assist in remediation of this issue.”