A sewage leak late last month is believed to have caused a fish kill in Little Eagle Creek that runs through Washington Township in Westfield.

Mayor Scott Willis said he was recently made aware of the sewage overflow and reported it to Citizens Energy Group, which stated that the issue that caused the leak was recently repaired.

“I immediately contacted Citizens Energy Group and heard back from them on Tuesday, Jan. 9,” Willis stated. “(Citizens Group) informed us that the line was repaired. We are still waiting on details as to how much overflow occurred and what protocols they are putting in place to ensure this doesn’t happen again in the future.”

Citizens Energy Group issued the following statement:

“A manhole structure owned by Citizens Westfield discharged untreated sewage from the wastewater collection system near the Westfield Wastewater Treatment Plant in late December 2023.”

According to a statement from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, “IDEM investigated the incident and observed violations that were referred to the agency’s enforcement section. IDEM will pursue a formal enforcement action and work with Citizens of Westfield to ensure violations are addressed.”

Citizens Energy stated that it is committed to collaborating with the IDEM on the investigation, addressing all environmental violations and developing a plan to prevent future events and ensure future compliance with regulations.

The investigation is ongoing.