Failure of a primary and backup power supply at a pump station in Greensboro, North Carolina, recently led to 9.8 million gallons of wastewater spilling out of a manhole.

The spill lasted for about three hours, according to officials, and approximately 3.8 million gallons of wastewater spilled into North Buffalo Creek, which is a tributary of the Cape Fear River basin.

The initial power outage occurred after more than 4 inches of rain fell in the region during storms.

EPA Announces $20 Million to Improve Drinking Water in Tribal Communities

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will dedicate more than $20 million in infrastructure funding to projects that will improve access to safe drinking water for American Indian and Alaska Native populations.

This funding will significantly boost public health protections for these communities by improving their ability to obtain safe water for drinking, cooking and hand-washing.

“EPA is working to ensure that all Americans — regardless of their zip code — have clean water for drinking and recreation,” says EPA Assistant Administrator for Water David Ross. “EPA’s infrastructure funding will support public health in American Indian and Alaska Native communities by providing needed funding to connect populations to reliable and safe drinking water.”

Water Treatment Plant in Virginia Floods   

In other news, heavy rainfall in Brookneal, Virginia, caused the town’s water treatment plant to flood. According to operator Noah Bomar, after a few hours of heavy rain, the doors and windows of the facility began to crack.

“I heard the big crack and so I got on to the stairs and I got halfway up the stairs and the door caved in on me so I just got out of there in time,” Bomar tells ABC 13 News.

Plant staff are now working on clearing mud and water from the flooded areas of the facility, as they work to get operations back underway.