Grand Traverse County's Department of Public Works has reported that a sewer break occurred Sunday near the intersection of Cass and South Airport roads. DPW is still working with contractors to resolve the issue.

According to a DPW release, the break was discovered just before noon Sunday after a customer reported experiencing a sewer backup nearby. An assessment indicated the downstream sewer main was blocked. The impacted sewer is a 12-inch diameter clay main installed in the 1970s. It services areas along north and south Cass Road and portions of east South Airport Road. DPW is still working with Elmer's Crane and Dozer to remove the blockage and identify its cause to ensure "there is no further service disruption or further backups," according to the release. It's currently unknown if the break is associated with corrective repairs made at the site last year.

DPW Superintendent Kent Nothstine said the site is "challenging, given depth to excavation, presence of multiple utilities, and a heavily trafficked corridor. We apologize for the traffic impacts, but this is an essential utility that requires repairs to be implemented ASAP."

There's no evidence to suggest the leak has impacted Boardman Lake or the river and its associated watersheds, according to DPW. Still, "out of an abundance of caution," DPW has reported the incident to both the local health department and the state as a sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) event.