"City Dumps Raw Sewage in River"

"With the rising Missouri River threatening to encroach a South Omaha sewage treatment plant, the City of Omaha will dump 6 million gallons of raw sewage a day into the river as it takes part of the plant off-line.

City officials had expected to take that step earlier, but announced the development Friday in urging people to avoid the river downstream for several miles from South Omaha's Veterans Memorial Bridge. That advisory is in effect indefinitely.

The city is building a levee around the rest of the South Omaha sewage facility. But the station where city officials are removing equipment is so low that the city can't protect it from floodwaters, said Marty Grate, environmental services manager for the Omaha Public Works Department.

By closing the makeshift levee, the city is closing access to the lower facility, Grate said."

Jeffrey Robb reports for the Omaha World-Herald June 4, 2011.