A damaged sewer line was leaking sewage into several Baldwin wastewater and the Brookside Preserve creek, according to Nassau County Legislator Debra Mule.
Mule says the Department of Public Works informed her that the damaged sewer line is located on Grand Avenue at Lorenz Avenue.
Officials say the 42-inch sewer main was corroded, leading to a massive sinkhole on Grand Avenue.
Tashawna Caesar's backyard was one of the residents whose backyard was left soaked in sewage.
"I came downstairs, and I smelled something really horrible and rancid," Caesar says.
Nassau County officials say they are trying to stop it from going into Milburn Creek and are working to pump it elsewhere sooner rather than later.
Jasmine Rebori says she also woke up with sewage in her yard but is more concerned about the creek.
"Makes me worry about the environment, makes me worried about the contamination that can happen there," Rebori says. "Also, a lot of kids that live around here and they appreciate the preserve in the creek."
The county executive's office says the water was shut down from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for 36 homes. They say the water is now back on and safe to drink.
Businesses in the area are also concerned because of the road closures stemming from the work being done to fix the issue.
"In Baldwin, we have a lot of businesses that rely on Grand Avenue for people to travel to," says Giovughni Goldmore, who cuts hair in the area.
"My office will continue to provide regular updates to the community until these repairs are complete and our environmental and infrastructure concerns are fully addressed," Mule said in her statement.
Chief Deputy Nassau County Executive Arthur Walsh says the health department and fire marshal are on the scene. He says they are there to support homeowners that are affected.
Walsh says there is no timetable on when the repairs will be finished but that he wants crews out 24/7 until the work is complete.
