250,000 Gallons Of Sewage Spill Into Schuylkill River, Report Says

POTTSTOWN, PA -- An estimated 250,000 gallons of untreated sewage spilled into the Schuylkill River on February 24 after a sewer system was flooded by a severe rainstorm.

Pottstown's wastewater treatment plant was overwhelmed by the intense rainfall, which caused local flooding, according to the report.

The plant is designed to handle a maximum of about 15 million gallons of sewage per day, reports state.

During the storm, it reportedly handled 65 million gallons.

Utility workers said it was the most they had ever seen, according to the Pottstown Mercury.

The sewage flowed into a storm drain that ultimately led to the Schuylkill River.

The Schuylkill is a drinking water source for several communities downstream of Pottstown, including Royersford and Philadelphia.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has been notified but has not yet released a statement on the situation.

The full extent of the environmental damage caused by the spill remains unclear.