City officials in Marlborough, MA discovered 8,000 gallons of a laxative-like substance similar to Milk of Magnesia in the Assabet River. The source has been linked to a city sewage treatment plant.

The chemical, magnesium hydroxide, often used to neutralize acid levels in wastewater, somehow escaped from overfill tanks at the treatment plant into drains within the facility that discharge into the Assabet.

Needless to say, warnings were issued to stay out of the Assabet - even if you're feeling a little "irregular." I suppose if you were out for a dip in the Assabet and happened to ingest some of the water - what might result could give new meaning to the term "direct sewage discharge."

Now the Spills of the Week:

"But Teacher, I Have to Go Real Bad": The little kids at Bracken Christian School in San Antonio, TX will not be allowed to go to the bathroom - in their school anyway. The school's septic system failed causing sewage to pool on school grounds. Porta-Potties have been brought in for the elementary school students until maintenance crews fix the problem.
- May 4, 2007: Express-News, San Antonio, TX

It's Bonkers in Yonkers: For two days straight sewage spilled into the Hudson River because of a rupture in a 48-inch sewer main in Yonkers just north of New York City. Several days following the spill, warnings were still being issued cautioning residents to avoid all contact with the river south of Westchester County. The latest estimate is that 7.5 million gallons of sewage spilled into the Hudson River during this incident.
- May 5 & 8, 2007: The Journal News - White Plains, NY
- May 7, 2007: New York Times

Toxic-a-noxie Creek: Floodwaters caused Tonganoxie Creek, in Leavenworth County, KS, to rise 10 feet and leading to major sewage problems. Sewage backed up into basements and burst through manhole covers. "They said don't flush if you don't have to for a while." Said Mayor Mike Vestal.
- May 8, 2007: Lawrence Journal World - Lawrence, KS

Io-whoa: Millions of gallons of untreated sewage were bypassed across Iowa as heavy rains swept across the state. Iowa Department of Natural Resources is assessing the problem to avoid similar disasters in the future.
- May 8, 2007: Radio Iowa - Des Moines, IA

Big Poo River: Extensive flooding in Beatrice, NE shut down the town's wastewater treatment plant causing raw sewage to pour into the Big Blue River. The Big Blue River was nearly 8 feet over its banks and came very close to inundating the sewage treatment plant.
- May 9, 2007: KETV - Omaha, NE