There have not been any adverse issues reported after a clogged sewer line caused a wastewater overflow into Little Lake Eureka, according to Simon Wiley, Eureka Springs public works director.

“No adverse health issues or fish kills have been noticed or observed,” Wiley said in an email response to the Times-Echo on Tuesday, Nov. 18.

Wiley told the Times-Echo that a line was clogged “with rags and grease,” and not broken, when it was reported to be overflowing to his office on Friday, Nov. 14.

“It was not an issue that could have been prevented with line replacement or anything of that sort,” Wiley said. “It was a direct result of someone flushing items they should not have.”

The public works department received an email on Nov. 14 that there was “another” overflow at Little Lake Eureka “that was leaking thousands of gallons of wastewater into the lake,” Wiley said, adding there was no record of any previous issues involving a sewer line in the area.

“My staff responded as soon as I noticed the email,” Wiley said. “Due to the location of the line (in the bottom of a ravine) we had to hire P&P Plumbing to come jet the line out. Our jetter hose is not long enough to have reached this clog.

“I received the notification that the backup was occurring about 12:50 p.m. and received a call from my staff that the issue was rectified at 2:17 p.m. My staff said that they observed a loss of what appeared to be about 200 gallons.”

According to a report submitted by the city to the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, the overflow occurred in a ravine between Drennon Drive and College Street.

Despite the wastewater going into the lake, nothing else could be done, Wiley said.

“There is no viable means to treat the pond that would not kill everything in the lake,” he said.