HOT SPRINGS, Ark. — A recent burglary at a Hot Springs water treatment facility led to raw sewage running into Gulpha Gorge near Lake Catherine.

The would-be thief set off alarms on the site of a long-running project that Hot Springs needs to finish to fix a recurring, messy water problem.

“We had someone enter a, what's called an air relief valve vault, and it's really tricky to get in,” said Bill Burrough, the city manager for the City of Hot Springs.

Late last week, Hot Springs crews made the trek through the woods to the pump station where a thief had gotten in. However, when they arrived, it was a scene of sewage flowing out of the pump.

“When they did that, they got a huge surprise, because it's under some intense pressure. So, you know, it had to blow back sewage all over them.

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