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Reports Of Sewage Spills On The Rise

Last week, more than 160,000 gallons of raw sewage spilled out of a broken pipe in Grandview, and into Longview Lake. Courtesy of jacksongov.org.
Last week, more than 160,000 gallons of raw sewage spilled out of a broken pipe in Grandview, and into Longview Lake. Courtesy of jacksongov.org.

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kcur/local-kcur-911193.mp3

Kansas City, MO – This spring and summer, an alarming number of sewage spills are threatening local waterways. Millions of gallons of human waste have poured into rivers and lakes. And it's unclear if this is business as usual, and the public just didn't know about it before.

What's changed is that the city and the state are now reporting these spills more consistently. To understand the situation better, KCUR's Sylvia Maria Gross caught up with journalist Karen Dillon, who covers the environmental beat for The Kansas City Star.

Read Karen Dillon's stories about recent sewage spills and the broken Birmingham pump station.

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources is now listing beaches closed due to high levels of E. Coli.

This story was produced for KC Currents. To listen on your own schedule, subscribe to the KC Currents Podcast.

Sylvia Maria Gross is storytelling editor at KCUR 89.3. Reach her on Twitter @pubradiosly.
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