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Septic truck releases at least 500 gallons of raw sewage in Chester County borough

South Coatesville Police Chief Kevin Pierce said the leak occurred when a glass used by the driver to view inside the tank broke while the truck was parked.

A septic truck leaked at least 1,000 gallons of raw sewage onto a rural road, adjacent to a wetlands, in South Coatesville, Chester County Tuesday morning.
A septic truck leaked at least 1,000 gallons of raw sewage onto a rural road, adjacent to a wetlands, in South Coatesville, Chester County Tuesday morning.Read moreIrishEyez Photography

A truck used to empty residential septic systems leaked with reports varying between 500 to 1,000 gallons of untreated sewage off a roadway in a rural area of South Coatesville borough Tuesday morning.

South Coatesville Police Chief Kevin Pierce said the leak occurred about 11:45 a.m. when a glass used by the driver to view inside the tank broke while the truck was parked on the 2000 block of Upper Gap Road.

“All of the sewage leaked out of the sight glass,” Pierce said.

The Chester County hazardous materials team was called, Pierce said, and both the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency were notified. Modena Fire Company Station 37 also reported it was on the scene.

Pierce said the truck was in an area with only a few houses and woods nearby, not far from the site where the borough places its recycled leaves for composting.

The location is about 1,000 feet equidistant of Dennis Run and the West Branch of the Brandywine Creek, though there was no information as to whether the sewage could have made it into the waterways.

The truck is owned by Gray Brothers Inc. Septic Services in Spring City.

Dan Spracklin, CEO of Gray Brothers, said company representatives were on site working with environmental and local officials to clean up the sewage.

Spracklin estimated 500 gallons spilled. He said sight glasses are placed at various levels on the tank so a driver can gauge how much material is inside. The sight glass that broke was at a level that indicated about 500 gallons had spilled — less than the 1,000 originally reported.

He called it a “freak accident” and said a rock or something must have bounced and cracked the glass.

“This is the first time we’ve ever had any sight glass break on us,” Spracklin said. “I know we’re working to correct the situation. ... Gray Brothers will ensure that it gets cleaned up.”