Residents: It's not the first time sewage has spilled into Cypress Creek

Cleanup work is complete after a spill released more than 16,000 gallons of raw sewage near Cypress Creek in Severna Park, according to the Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works. A pipe failed Sunday afternoon on Ritchie Highway, causing the spill. While most of the sewage remained on land and was removed by vacuum trucks, county officials said on Tuesday that approximately 2,000 gallons entered Cypress Creek.Residents who live along the creek expressed frustration and concern after seeing images of the contamination.”It just looks gross,” said Molly Catalano. “My kids, my toddler, play in the water.”Another resident, Ben Burkhardt, said the spill poses a particular risk to children who frequent a nearby public beach.”It’s a concern. There’s a small public beach, and the children play in there,” Burkhardt said. “Those parents should be concerned because children don’t know any different — they drink the stuff.”DPW officials said crews worked to remove as much contaminated water as possible but acknowledged there are limits to what can be recovered once sewage enters a moving waterway.”We suck up any water that we see and we get that down, but if there’s any current taking it out, that’s something we can’t go out and grab,” said David Kramer, with the DPW’s Bureau of Utility Operations.Some residents told WBAL-TV 11 News that the latest spill is part of a recurring problem.”We’ve lived here for seven years now, and it’s happened a handful of times,” Catalano told WBAL-TV 11 News. “We’re close to the station it happens from and it’s just not really convenient. It’s not safe and it’s not pleasant.”DPW officials confirmed that sewage has leaked into Cypress Creek before, with the most recent previous incident occurring in 2024. County officials said infrastructure upgrades are already underway to reduce the likelihood of future spills. According to the DPW, a project to replace and upgrade aging pipes is expected to be completed by the end of September.In the meantime, officials are encouraging residents to help prevent sewer system problems by being mindful of what they flush.”The three P’s are what we should be flushing — poop, pee and toilet paper,” Kramer told WBAL-TV 11 News. “Dumping grease is a no. That’s contributing to sanitary sewer overflows, as are things that aren’t supposed to be in there, like wipes.”Residents said they hope the planned improvements will finally address a problem that has affected the creek multiple times in recent years.