CEDAR RAPIDS - Greg Eyerly uses lots of analogies when talking about recent challenges at the wastewater treatment plant on the city's southeast side.

He talks about aircraft carriers and airplanes, and none of the news is good.

"What faces us here is that we've got to get a 747 up in the air, and then we've got to fix it in the air," said Eyerly, the city's utilities operations manager. "It's a daunting task."

At least 25 million gallons of raw sewage from the metro area is still flowing directly into the Cedar River daily. And the stream will continue until a series of repairs at the plant are complete.

The alternative is sewage lining city streets and filling the basements of homes.

City officials believe the floodwaters that covered three-fourths of the plant caused at least $5 million to $10 million in damage. Eyerly said it could take six months before the plant is back to normal operation, and the residual effects could last even longer.

"It's not something we can fix in a week, or two weeks," said Eyerly, who is facing a recovery process that was unimaginable when he took the job four months ago.

Iowa Department of Natural Resources officials have tested water quality downstream of the plant weekly since June 9. They've found elevated levels of bacteria, including E. coli and fecal matter, as has been the case in other flooded areas around the state. People are being advised to stay out of the river and its tributaries until further notice.

Perhaps most damaging is the effect the floodwaters had on the plant's biomass, which breaks down organic matter...

Full Story: http://www.iowacaucus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080627/NEWS/278160442/0/FRONTPAGE

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