Effingham County officials are trying to figure out what caused a sewage spill Thursday afternoon and determine how much got out.

A nearby resident of the Park West subdivision called county officials Thursday to tell them raw sewage was gushing out of a line, and they discovered that sewage was coming out of the force main there. The county shut down the nearby lift station as a result.

The sewage spill flowed toward the Black Creek, south of the subdivision, and did not come near the homes. County engineer Steve Liotta said they did not know if sewage got into the Black Creek itself, but they are testing the water upstream and downstream from possible entry points.

Water and sewer service was not affected by the leak, Liotta said.

Crews repaired the line at about 11 p.m. Thursday.

For more, see Tuesday’s Herald.