OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - The swelling Missouri River is forcing the city of Omaha to shut down its south sewage treatment plant, which will dump 6 million gallons of raw sewage a day into the river.
Aida Amoura Rezac, spokeswoman for the Omaha mayor's office, says the release of raw sewage will continue until the sewage treatment plant "is no longer in jeopardy."
Rezac says state regulatory agencies and communities down river have been notified. People are being urged to avoid the river downstream from the Veterans Memorial Bridge in south Omaha.
The decommissioned sewage plant is one of 17 operated by the city. Rezac says the city is in the process of removing equipment from the plant and will build a berm to try to hold back flood waters from the plant.