800 Gallons of Sewage Accidentally Dumped into Lobdell Lake

Grrrrrreeeeeaaaat.

Because that's what Genesee County needs right now. Woof.

A contractor working on Lobdell Lake in Fenton accidentally released 800 gallons of diluted, raw sewage into the lake after he hit a shut-off valve with his excavator in Argentine Township.

The spill happened on Monday afternoon, according to the Genesee County Drain Commissioner's Office. According to their statement, it was a private contractor who did not contact Miss Dig prior to working on a home on Stages Island.

The Genesee County Drain Commissioner, Jeff Wright, said that the fault lies entirely on the contractor and that a call to Miss Dig could've prevented this.

The break occurred roughly four-feet below the ground. It caused raw sewage to penetrate the seawall and leak into Lake Lobdell.

Back in 2018, the county adopted the "Gold Shovel Standard" for contractors to "establish safe working conditions and practices." The program literally ensures that contractors contact agencies like Miss Dig before performing work so, let's just say, this was the opposite of the Gold Shovel Standard.

Lobdell Lake has been in the news a lot in the last year or so - you may remember the story about the homeowner who built a bridge from his house to the island without the correct permits. He was ordered to remove the bridge or face legal action.

I'm more impressed that this guy could BUILD HIS OWN BRIDGE across a body of water. I can barely hang a picture in my living room. Even though it was illegal, it was still impressive.