Warsaw Auto Shop Closed After Apparent Oil LeakThe city is working to clean up an unknown amount of oil that infiltrated into the sanitary sewer system.
The leak was discovered on June 13 while contractors working to reline a manhole discovered a large amount of substance near East Winona Avenue and storage units just east of the railroad tracks, said Brian Davison, utility manager for the city’s wastewater department.
He said they have not definitively determined the source, but tracked it down to a auto shop that was renting space and lacked the state-required oil water separator for auto repair shops.
The city removed hundreds of gallons of the oil-water mix it found, but stopped after they realized it was oil over fear that it would contaminate city equipment.
Instead, officials opted to hire a company that specializes in such removal projects.
Davison said oil has been found in several hundred feet of undergrounde pipe and in at least two manholes.
The proprietor was renting space for his business and could not show any proof that they had been using an oil water separator and the city halted operations until they can show proof that one is installed, Davison said.
Material was placed in two 300-gallon containers, so the total is less than 600 gallons, Davison said.
He said he was unsure how much more material remains under ground.
He did not identify the business by name and did not have an exact address where the spill occured.
The firm hired by the city is not expected to arrive on site for a few weeks. The cleanup will probably take a day or two, Davison said.
Davison updated members of the city’s board of public works and safety on the issue Monday.
