What if one was your child? At least 10 children got sick after swimming in water downstream from a sewage spill in Austin, TX. The children had been released from school early that day and were enjoying an afternoon swim. Of the 15 children that went swimming, only a few didn't get sick. Parents reported vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea, which can be symptoms of contact with untreated sewage. The news media was informed of the spill the day after it happened, the same day the kids went for their swim.

Now the Spills of the Week:

Whew... Stay Out of the John: Sewage flowed out of a manhole spilling 12,000 gallons of raw sewage in Fulton County Georgia. Debris caused the blockage that led to the spill into a tributary of Johns Creek.
- August 30, 2007: Atlanta Journal Constitution - Atlanta, GA

Who done it? You might want to stay away from Girty's Run in Ross, PA. Some illegal dumping is suspected as the cause of a sewage-like substance in the water. Tests are being done to determine what the substance is. The dumper, if caught, could be fined $10,000.
- September 1, 2007: Pittsburg Tribune-Review - Pittsburg, PA

Diehard Golfers: 16,000 gallons of spilled sewage didn't stop many intrepid golfers from teeing off last weekend. A clogged sewer line caused the sewage to bubble up through a manhole and flow into Walnut Creek, a tributary of the Raccoon River. "The overflow did not affect players who teed off during the one of the course's busiest times of the year," said assistant pro Cory Brown.
- September 3, 2007: Des Moines Register - Des Moines, IA

Looking Awful: Swimming is being banned in Looking Glass Creek in Winston, OR. A sewage spill is to blame for the ban from the point of the spill to the creek's confluence with the South Umpqua River. No information was available on the cause or size of the spill.
- September 3, 2007: The News-Review - Roseburg, OR

Oops: More than 3 million gallons of sewage was spilled causing a large fish kill in Lexington, KY. And oh, by the way, the state hotline wasn't called. Instead, workers sent an electronic message. This delayed the dispatching of an environmental response team that could have lessened the impact of the sewage spill. The director of the city's Division of Water and Air Quality pledged more training for its employees and new hires to ensure the proper notification for future spills.
- September 4, 2007: Lexington Herald Leader - Lexington, KY

TitusSpill, Florida: "It smells like a port-o-potty in August, That's the best way I can describe it," said one angry Titusville, FL resident about the sewage that continuously bubbles out of manholes along her neighborhood street. Residents expressed serious concerns about the children in the neighborhood running through the large puddles of sewage that are collecting in streets.
- September 4, 2007: WFTV 9 Eyewitness News - Melbourne, FL

Little Sick Creek: Grease blocked a sewer line in Durham, NC causing 1500 gallons of sewage to spill in a tributary of Little Lick Creek. The blockage was cleared and the area cleaned and disinfected.
- September 5, 2007: The News & Observer - Raleigh, NC

Not Ready River: A swimming advisory has been issued for the Reedy River in Greenville, SC because of a sewage overflow. No further information on the overflow is available.
- September 6, 2007: WYFF - Greenville, SC