ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Health officials are urging residents in Southwest Michigan communities near the St. Joseph River to steer clear of it until further notice. This they say comes after 500,000 gallons of untreated wastewater emptied into it last week on Friday, July 7, which prompted them to issue a no contact advisory.
FOX-17 reported on Monday, July 10, that the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency was notified by the Three Rivers Wastewater Treatment Plant on Friday that a force main break caused wastewater to pour into the river near the Broadway Street Bridge which then moved downstream towards Constantine.
Health officials are urging residents to avoid all contact with the St. Joseph River between Three Rivers and Constantine and further south to include swimming, boating, and fishing. They go onto say the river water will be tested continuously to monitor bacteria levels until they return to normal.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warn that several infectious diseases are connected to contact with fecal bacteria, including hepatitis and dysentery.
