Hopewell sewage spill sends an estimated 1 million gallons into swampy area near James River

HOPEWELL, Va. — A broken pipe near a Hopewell pump station has been leaking sewage since Tuesday, prompting state monitoring over concerns the waste could reach the James River.

A 3-inch hole in a 24-inch sewage pipe near Hopewell's First Street Pump Station has been leaking since work crews spotted sewage bubbling up from the ground Tuesday morning. An estimated 1 million gallons flowed out within the first 48 hours, though the rate of leakage has since slowed significantly.

Matt Ellinghaus, Director of Hopewell Water Renewal, described the scene at the excavation site.

"This is the excavation pit around the break," Ellinghaus said. "About three to four feet below that water service is the 24-inch pipe."

A repair attempt Thursday morning did not hold due to extreme pressure in the pipe, but it did reduce the amount of sewage escaping.

"Lots of the sewage is still flowing in the pipe," Ellinghaus said.

The sewage that has escaped is spreading outward from the break site into the surrounding area.

"The dewatering pumps, when they turn on, are just getting it out of this hole and just kinda over a little ridge where it settles into some of the natural drainage swells in the swampy area," Ellinghaus said.

The break sits near Cattail Creek, which drains into Bailey's Creek and ultimately exits to the James River at Bailey Bay — several miles away. Both the Department of Environmental Quality and the Virginia Department of Health are monitoring the situation to determine whether the sewage will reach the James River.

Ellinghaus said he does not expect the leak to travel that far without significant rainfall.

"Most of it will stay here contained where the natural biological process of these soils will degrade the waste into nothing but water," Ellinghaus said.

Downstream at Jordan Point Marina on the James River, the spill is already a topic of conversation among boaters and visitors. General Manager Cody Cole said the situation has influenced at least one person's plans.

"I actually talked to somebody today about it, cause I knew they were going over there and they changed their mind," Cole said.

Cole said he does not expect the spill to affect the marina even if the sewage does reach the river.

The First Street Pump Station cannot be shut down during repairs because it handles more than 1 million gallons of residential sewage per day — roughly half of the city's total. Ellinghaus expects repairs to be completed early next week.

This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.