Ryan Severn of Seattle takes dedication to a whole new level. Last week while Ryan and his wife, Ann, were cleaning an office building, Ann accidentally dropped her wedding band down in to a sewer. Not just a sewer pipe, but a full on vat of sewage. Ryan, seeing that his wife was very upset at losing their symbol of matrimony, dove into the sewer and starting searching for the ring in the sewage! "I strip down in underwear," he said, "and went in." Unsuccessful, Ryan left and immediately bought a wetsuit, came back and gave it another go with a handmade strainer. Yet again, he was unsuccessful. So, being the committed husband, he hired professionals to drain the cesspool, sift through the slimy mess and sure enough he found the ring!!! That takes a level of commitment that is hard to find. Amazing and impressive.

And now the Spills of the Week:

Amphibious Assault: Authorities have issued a warning to beachgoers in San Diego about a sewage spill in Glorietta Bay Park. The 800-gallon sewage spill flowed into San Diego Bay Friday morning after a sewer line broke at the Navy amphibious base. The spill was contained, but the park will remain closed until bacterial counts return to safe levels.
- January 19, 2008: KFMB News 8 - San Diego, CA

Macon Me Crazy!: The Macon Water Authority cleaned up a 32,400-gallon sewage spill Thursday. The spill was caused by heavy rains that overwhelmed the sewer line. Macon received more than an inch-and-a-half of rain between Wednesday afternoon and Thursday night, according to the National Weather Service. Debris was removed from the surrounding area and the affected area was disinfected with lime. Lime makes everything better.
- January 19, 2008: Macon Telegraph - Macon, GA

Manhole Overboard!: According to the Mendocino County Health and Human Services Agency, a blockage in the sewer line caused sewage to burst out of a manhole. An unknown amount of sewage flowed out of the manhole and into Point Arena Creek, which empties into the ocean near the Point Arena Pier, an area popular surfing spot. The Mendocino County Department of Environmental Health has posted signs at the beach advising the public that if you touch poop you might get sick.
- January 19, 2008: Ukiah Daily Journal, Ukiah, CA

Nauseous Neighbors: A group of neighbors in San Benito say they're forced to live near a stinky and unsanitary mess and they want the city to clean it up. There are a handful of homes that some homeowners say have to share the neighborhood with raw sewage. "I think this is something that should be taken care of immediately because there is very toxic stuff coming out of there," said Robert Camacho. Camacho lives closest to the mess that he says at times invades his neighborhood. Another resident, Alfonso Benavidez, is also working to get this mess cleaned up. "It makes you nauseous," explained Benavidez, "it makes you really nauseous and I couldn't see living by here everyday and having to smell this." The smell is something Camacho, a master plumber, has no problems describing.  "Imagine yourself in a rent-a-can that has not been cleaned in two or three weeks," he said, "And there's maggots, that same stench comes out of there too." "Its outrageous they have to put up with this daily," Benavidez. Hmm, that's colorful picture he paints.
- January 23, 2008: KGTV 4 - Harlingen, TX

Unsanitary Sewer Line Slip-up: The Mobile Area Water and Sewer System notified the Mobile County Health Department of approximately 8,078 gallons of untreated sewage that overflowed at 375 Hillcrest Road due to a broken line by a third party contractor. The flow destination of the discharge was Twelve Mile Creek. Dr. Bernard Eichold, Health Officer, Mobile County Health Department, advises area residents to take precautions when using Twelve Mile Creek for recreational purposes. All seafood harvested in this general area should be thoroughly cooked before consumption. Individuals should wash hands after cleaning fish/seafood and before preparing food. Yummy!
- January 23, 2008:  WKRG News 5 - Mobile, AL