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Force main break causes estimated 5,000-gallon sewage spill in Cape Coral

Sarah Jarvis
The News-Press
A map showing the 1700 block of Beach Parkway, where a force main break caused a sewage spill Friday.

A force main break caused an estimated 5,000 gallons of raw sewage to spill into a canal in southeast Cape Coral on Friday.

The break occurred at about 9 a.m. near the 1700 block of Beach Parkway, according to an email news release from city spokeswoman Maureen Buice. The residential block is between Del Prado Boulevard and Jaycee Park.

Buice said some of the sewage spilled into a swale area, entering the storm drain and the Orchid Canal. City crews were cleaning and liming the area Friday afternoon, with plans to conduct testing in the canal to determine fecal counts, she said.

"Residents along the Orchid Canal should avoid direct contact with the canal water until the City gives the 'all clear' sign," Buice said. "The City anticipates the spill to dissipate quickly based on the flow and tidal action in the canal system."

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