O'FALLON — A sewer line installed under Engle Creek has broken in two places, the city announced Tuesday.

Several sections of the sanitary sewer main line floated to the surface of the Engle Creek stream bed about 450 feet southeast of the intersection of North Smiley and Deer Creek. Due to the floating, two sections of the sewer pipe broke apart.

On Tuesday, water from the creek entered the pipe at the break causing the creek to run backward in the area.

The city said at times when the sewer main is running near capacity, sewage from the main does enter the creek flow, primarily from smaller breaks or holes in the piping.

The city advises residents to limit activities in and around the creek and take appropriate caution if near the creek. Additionally, as the Engle Creek watershed is in a populated area, it is a natural conduit for pet and other animal waste. A recent urban stream study indicated the existence of fecal coliform, a precursor for other waste constituents, exists in the creek. Therefore, caution should always be used when activities in and around the creek are planned.

O'Fallon officials have informed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency of the break, and has an engineering firm working with them to make repairs as soon as possible.

Questions or concerns should be directed to the O'Fallon Public Works Department at 624-4500, ext. 3.