Roger Ellis, engineer project manager for the Bartow County Water Department, looks down where a 12-inch sewage pipe broke behind Carmike Cinemas Plaza 8 on Tennessee Street. SKIP BUTLER/The Daily Tribune News
"The problem was discovered and called in at 4:15 a.m.," Stormwater Program Manager for Cartersville Public Works Christina Williams said. "The water department acted quickly to gain control of the problem."
A ditch behind the Carmike Cinemas Plaza, where the line was located, had an issue with pressure building up, undermining the sewer line directly below.
"Apparently some of the storms we've had recently caused pretty severe erosion. It got enough pressure on it to where it came apart," Gene Camp, Bartow County water department superintendent, said.
Camp said his department received the call about 4:45 a.m. and located the problem at 5:30. The situation was contained by 7 a.m.
"That line was built about 25 years ago," Camp said, explaining that the department is completely relaying that section of pipe and cleaning the ditch to prevent future back-ups.