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FORT COLLINS, Colo. (KDVR) — A construction mishap sent thousands of gallons of raw sewage into a Fort Collins pond.

It happened around 9:30 Friday morning at the Spring Creek Pond at Edora Park.

Chris Slocum was stepping outside to pour out his morning coffee grinds when he noticed the stench.

“I happened to see that there was a lot of gushing liquid going out into the pond,” he said. “So not really something you want to see while you’re drinking your coffee.”

According to Fort Collins Utilities, crews were using an above-ground pipe to bypass sewage through the area while fixing a sewer line that runs underneath the park.

That pipe was placed into a manhole but somehow slipped out, sending the sewage into the pond.

“Just the force of that pipe, sort of like a water hose when you just turn it on, it sort of moves around. It can kind of work it’s way out,” said Andrew Gingrich, the director of water field operations for Fort Collins Utilities.

Gingrich said sewage was flowing for about 10 minutes.

“10 to 20 thousand gallons sounds like a lot, but with the water that’s in a stream or river or pond, it really does dilute,” he said. “We will be monitoring it through the weekend.”

The pond feeds Spring Creek, which ultimately connects with the Cache la Poudre River downstream.

Gingrich is optimistic there will be no adverse impacts to wildlife, but he said they’ll monitor the situation.

“We’re feeling like raw sewage did not actually make it to the Poudre, but we’re still doing water sampling to be sure,” he said. “We recommend for a few days that they avoid getting in the water, having their pets get in the water.”

The city will post updates and additional information here.