Giant sinkhole opens at Sheboygan's Lakeview Park
Sinkhole created by overflow of sewage at the nearby Sheboygan Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility
SHEBOYGAN — A sizable sinkhole has caused Lakeview Park to be closed after Tuesday morning’s severe storms and some residents are concerned an overflow of sewage occurred.
The City of Sheboygan’s Department of Public Works (DPW) closed the park Monday morning. On Wednesday afternoon, they posted on Facebook the park was closed due to flooding, which created a potential public health issue. Officials at the time did not offer additional details, only asking the public to avoid the cordoned off area on the south side of Lakeview Park while repairs are completed.1
On Thursday afternoon, minor flooding was observed as well as a large sinkhole in the far southeastern corner of the park. The hole, several feet deep and wide, has made the walking path to the Alliant Energy's Edgewater Generating Station inaccessible. The parking lot is closed to vehicles and yellow caution tape surrounds an area near the sinkhole.
The Sheboygan Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF) is located just feet away from Lakeview Park, also known as Shooting Park. Both are located near Lakeshore Drive and Washington Avenue on the city’s south side. Some visitors to the park on Wednesday raised concerns that sewage from the plant may have flooded the park and how the incident will impact the Independence Day festivities, one week from today. Those concerns were confirmed Thursday by DPW, saying in part, sewage spilled into the park and into Lake Michigan during Tuesday’s storms.2
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“We take this incident very seriously and are committed to maintaining open communication with all relevant parties throughout the resolution process,” said Jordan Skiff, WWTF Superintendent. “We appreciate the public’s cooperation in helping prevent future occurrences.” However, it took the City of Sheboygan over 48 hours to inform the public that the sewage flooded the park. According to a news release, the overflow started around 6:30 AM on Tuesday, June 25th and lasted an hour.
The wastewater treatment plant serves the cities of Sheboygan, Sheboygan Falls, the Village of Kohler and the four towns in Sheboygan County. The City of Sheboygan constructed the plant in 1937. As the city grew, construction of a nearly $24 million addition began in 1978 and finished in 1981. The WWTF is capable of treating an average of 18.4 million gallons per day with a peak design capacity of 58.6 million gallons per day.3
Sources
Wastewater Treatment Plant Overflow Public Notice
sheboyganwi.gov
Wastewater Treatment
sheboygandpw.com