About 52,000 gallons of raw sewage spilled from a manhole as a result of a plugged outlet pipe near a private gravel pit, north of Kathleen Avenue, today. The cause of the plug was a large plastic traffic cone lodged in the outlet, probably placed there by a vandal. Powdered lime has been spread on the spill as a disinfectant. The nearest drinking water well is the city's Hanley well, about 1.25 miles away. The spill hasn't caused an immediate threat to the city's drinking water. The city of Coeur d'Alene has hired an independent hydrologist to evaluate the impact of the spill.

Related: Santa sewage spill reaches St. Maries River

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