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The area near Piscataway Creek in Clinton has now been cleared after a sanitary sewer overflow Thursday that released approximately 25,000 gallons of untreated wastewater, said Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission officials Friday.

The overflow took place from around 2:36 to 8:10 p.m. Thursday near 7000 Groveton Drive in Clinton. WSSC crews cleaned up the site soon after and alerted the Maryland Department of the Environment and the Prince George's County Health Department.

WSSC spokeswoman Kira Lewis said the cause of this particular sanitary sewer overflow is still unknown.

"SSOs are not as common as a water main break might be, but they do occur," Lewis said. "Often if a pipe gets clogged from various debris, grease or even a tree root that grows into the pipe, it can cause blockage. And sometimes people put things in sewage pipes that they shouldn't."

Signs were put up to alert residents of the overflow while crews cleaned up, according to WSSC's press release, and there are no water safety restrictions in place.

"We're obligated to send out notification within 24 hours," Lewis said. "But it was cleaned up the same day."

cokparanta@gazette.net