Just under 1,000 gallons of sewage from a sanitary sewer overflowed onto the 500 block of Rice Valley Road and made its way to an unnamed tributary to the Black Warrior River on Thursday, the City of Tuscaloosa said in a press release. According to the release, nearby populations have been notified and the area has been cleaned, treated, and marked with appropriate signage.

“Those in affected areas should exercise caution,” the release read. “In the affected areas, there could be health risks associated with the water and contaminated areas that adjoin the water so the City of Tuscaloosa advises people to avoid the water and contaminated areas.”

The release went on to remind residents that tap water has not been affected since water and wastewater systems are separate. 

“In an effort to increase transparency, the City is notifying residents and media of all overflows regardless of cause or severity,” the release read. “The City of Tuscaloosa treats over 6.5 billion gallons of wastewater annually at its wastewater plant and less than 0.03% of that volume has been lost to sanitary sewer overflows in its collection system over the last three years.”