An Iowa Department of Transportation contractor damaged both sewer mains at the Kenyon Road Bridge reconstruction site, causing more than 400,000 gallons of untreated wastewater to flow into the Des Moines River Wednesday.

The city of Fort Dodge notified the Iowa Department of Natural Resources about the incident Wednesday afternoon.

The DNR has opened an investigation into the incident as is standard practice.

According to City Engineer Austin Morrow, the problem was detected Wednesday at approximately 4 p.m. when it was discovered that the mains, which transport untreated wastewater to the wastewater treatment plant, had been damaged by a DOT contractor.

Repairs to the damaged mains were completed quickly and cleanup efforts are underway.

“We appreciate everyone involved for their quick response,” said Morrow. “The team came together to minimize the impact and contain the situation. Our primary goal was to limit the amount of untreated wastewater entering the river. Through their efforts, we found a solution that allowed us to make repairs quickly, reducing the environmental impact as much as possible.”

According to the DNR, any downstream recreational users should take caution and stay out of the river at this time. No dead fish have been observed.

The city of Fort Dodge is cooperating fully with the Iowa DNR to mitigate any further potential environmental impact.