A 10-foot rise in a Tonganoxie creek caused sewer problems for residents.

Mayor Mike Vestal said Tonganoxie Creek rose and flooded the city’s sewage treatment plant Sunday night. Meanwhile, rainwater was pouring into cracks in some of the city’s aging sewer lines that flow to the plant.

“We had one pump trying to pump all of this water coming into our sewer plant,” the mayor said.

Normally, the plant has three operational pumps. But two were off-line for repairs. When water from the creek flowed into the plant and extra water flowed into the plant through the pipes, it proved too much for the pump to handle.

“The combination of the two is just killing us,” the mayor said.

So sewage began backing up into homes and businesses.

“Lids were coming off manhole covers,” Vestal said. “They said don’t flush if you don’t have to for a while.”

By Monday morning, 10 feet of water was covering the plant, so city officials rented another pump.

If more rain falls, however, the mayor said the city is prepared to pile sandbags around its sewer plant.