Heavy rain causes sewer overflow in Fort Washington

FORT WASHINGTON, Md. (AP) - Heavy rains have caused a sanitary sewer overflow at a pumping station in Fort Washington, Maryland.

The overflow happened Saturday at Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission’s Broad Creek Wastewater Pumping Station. It lasted from 8:55 p.m. to 1:47 a.m.

WSSC says the station was fully operational, but the rainfall overwhelmed the station’s pumping capacity. WSSC estimates the overflow at about 983,000 gallons of diluted wastewater.

Signs were posted in the area warning residents to avoid the vicinity of the pumping station.

WSSC says its water and wastewater systems are separate and that the overflow did not affect drinking water.