Gasoline cleaned from sewer lines / LJWorld.com

Crews have pumped out about 15,000 gallons of gasoline and water from the sewer system near the Presto gas station at 1802 W. 23rd St., following a gas leak initially reported Sept. 27.

Randy Carlson, chief of the storage tank division at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, said they’ve been monitoring the cleanup and repair of a gasoline leak that shut down several roads in the area last week near Schwegler School.

A plumber working on a home in the area noticed a strong smell of gasoline and called emergency crews, who found “high explosive readings” from area sanitary sewer manholes. Crews made repairs to the sewer line, and later discovered the gasoline was leaking from the nearby Presto station, Carlson said. The leak was small, but over time it emitted an estimated 600 gallons of gasoline into the sewer.

For the past week, Presto has been vacuuming out water and gasoline and storing it in an approved container on site. Carlson said the station has been cooperative and proactive and will likely not face any fines or penalties from the incident.

Initially, the main concern with gasoline in the sewer was a possible explosion. Once that’s contained, KDHE monitors such cases to lessen environmental damage and effects on the soil, Carlson said.

loudmouthrealist 8 months, 2 weeks ago

Hey LJWorld

How about a bit of investigative reporting?

Out of the 15,000 gallons of water and gasoline mixture, how much is actually gasoline? In other words, out of the estimated 600 gallons of gasoline that leaked, how much was actually recovered? How much gasoline ended up in our sewer treatment plant? What special processes must be implemented to remove that gasoline from the sewage? How much extra, in tax dollars, is this leak costing the City to clean gasoline contaminated sewage?

How about real answers!