DES MOINES, IOWA (AP) -- The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is reporting power outages have caused the dumping of untreated wastewater into local streams and rivers.
DNR officials say Brayton in Audubon County is without power and has been dumping into the East Nishnabotna River since early Thursday.
The city of Fairfield sent untreated wastewater to Crow Creek for about three hours before power was restored.
Officials of the city of Audubon said they weren't sure when power would be restored at their treatment plant.
DNR official Dennis Ostwinkle says the problems reaffirm why state law requires design standards and an ability to operate in an emergency.
Ostwinkle says the lack of maintenance and failure to provide for a reliable alternate power source is the main reason cities don't have emergency operating capacity when they need it.
(Copyright ©2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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