Update at 10 p.m.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — WCIA spoke with a car wash employee after an agricultural lime spill on Mattis Avenue Thursday prompted the City of Champaign to encourage drivers to clean the substance from their vehicles.
“We’ve had probably 60 customers come through here today with the limestone on their vehicle. Our wash does a pretty good job of getting the exterior cleaned and wheel wells,” said Smitty’s Car Wash Site Manager Dalton Eades, “Us as employees, we’ve been cleaning the wheel wells out with the pressure washer and so forth. We have had multiple customers come through here with the limestone caked underneath the vehicle. And as well, I’ve seen a couple that the limestone is in the actual engine bay itself.”
WCIA talked with someone who had this lime substance on her car. She said she’s been through three car washes and washed it at home, but she said shestill has some on her vehicle.
Update: 6:45 p.m.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — Illinois American Water has shared more information after a “liquid lime solution” leaked along Mattis Avenue in Champaign on Wednesday.
A spokesperson for IAW said the solution was transported by a contractor for IAW. The liquid lime solution is what’s left from the lime used in water treatment. It was being transported to help raise pH levels in farm soil.
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IAW added that they’ve worked with Illinois farmers to apply residuals and biosolids, rather than sending them to landfills, for more than two decades.
After the spill, IAW said they worked with the city to clean up. Mattis Ave. was washed and cleaned and additional cleanup efforts continue. IAW added that if a vehicle drove through the liquid lime solution, it is recommended to wash the vehicle.
We are grateful for the City of Champaign’s partnerships in this response and continue to work closely with the city and contractor. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency was notified.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — Drivers who traveled southbound on Mattis Avenue on Wednesday are encouraged to check their cars after a truck spilled some of the material it was carrying.
On Wednesday afternoon, the City of Champaign said it was made aware that agricultural lime had spilled along southbound Mattis Ave. between Hedge Rd. and Kirby Ave. Officials said the material was being transported by private truck from the Illinois American Water (IAW) Plant.
After the spill, traffic was temporarily restricted at the intersection of Kirby Ave. and Mattis Ave. A flusher truck was dispatched to the scene to clear off the road. Champaign Public Works also reached out to the trucking company and IAWC.
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As of around 3 p.m., Champaign officials said that Public Works had flushed the majority of the area once and will complete a second cycle as they travel back north. But, due to the amount of agricultural lime spilled, there may be leftover material staining the road.
Drivers who note any of the material on their vehicles should wash it off at the earliest convenience, the city added.
A WCIA employee found some of their material on their car. After going through the car wash some of the material still remained underneath the vehicle. A car wash employee added that the car might need to be power washed to get the material off. If that doesn’t work, he said a chemical wash might be needed.
We will share updates as we learn more.
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