Iowa Department of Natural Resources have identified the source that caused murky water in a stormwater drainage ditch in Jefferson. According to the DNR, after they began an initial investigation of the stormwater drainage ditch in Daubendiek Park that drains into the North Raccoon River on March 26th, a resident called them to report seeing a Sloan Plumbing, Heating, Air Conditioning and Septic vehicle dumping wastewater from its truck into a manhole at the north end of Kelso Park. 

Local officials with the city of Jefferson and Greene County Sheriff’s Office contacted the business owner, Chad Sloan, and he told them that he gave direction to one of his employees to dump the septic waste in a manhole at the location because the normal dumpsite was blocked with construction to the Wastewater Treatment Plant. DNR Officials say that the employee unknowingly picked the storm sewer manhole instead of the wastewater collection system manhole. According to the DNR, they found nearly 1,000 gallons of septic waste that were dumped into the storm sewer system.

The Jefferson Public Works Department removed 6,000 gallons of contaminated water out of the ditch after they built a berm to prevent any more contaminated water from flowing out. DNR Officials confirm that none of the contaminated water went into the North Raccoon River.