Around 200 gallons of sewage leaked near Nichols Arboretum in Ann Arbor

ANN ARBOR – An estimated 200 gallons of sewage leaked out of a manhole near the University of Michigan Nichols Arboretum entrance around 11:45 a.m. on Tuesday.

City of Ann Arbor officials announced on Wednesday that the overflow was caused by a sewer pipe blockage made up of gravel and dirt from a collapsed sewer pipe.

The sewage flowed out of the manhole on a path toward Nichols Arboretum but did not reach any waterways or storm drains.

Public works staff quickly removed the blockage and repaired the pipe, then cleaned the pathway with a powered lime to speed up sewage decomposition, officials said.

City staff contacted the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy per regulatory protocols.

The Arb is at 1610 Washington Heights.