Sewage truck crash causes gray water spill in Smithfield

SMITHFIELD, R.I. (WLNE) — A tanker truck carrying gray water crashed in Smithfield Wednesday afternoon, causing sewage and oil to spill into a street in Smithfield, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management said Wednesday.

According to Mike Healey, a spokesperson for the DEM, hazmat crews responded to the intersection of Putnam Pike and Sanderson Road after a sewage truck rolled over and was leaking sewage into the roadway.

Officials said that Smithfield firefighters were able to block the leaking sewage and minor oil spill with Speedy Dry before the DEM could arrive. No storm drains were affected by the spill and it was contained to the street with sand dams.

The company that the truck belonged to patched a hole in the damaged tanker and pumped the sewage into another truck. The company also brought their own front-loader to remove the used sand and took it for disposal.

The scene took roughly two hours to clear.