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Partially untreated sewage in the James River

Posted at 6:02 PM, Jul 03, 2012
and last updated 2012-07-03 18:02:45-04

RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR) — A warning for anyone who plans on swimming in the James River for the Fourth of July holiday.

The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality says a power outage following Friday’s storms caused 2.6 million gallons of partially untreated sewage to flow into the James River in Lynchburg.

Officials say the sewage was treated with chlorine, but biological treatment didn’t take place.

The Department of Environmental Quality says it’s possible some of the waste made its way to Richmond. It says the exact degree of risk to swimmers is unclear, but that the risk is probably low.