U of M, 5 Gallons Of Sewer Water, What Is The Story Here?

The following is an actual headline and story coming to us from Ann Arbor via MLive:

5 gallons of sewer water overflows near University of Michigan building

I assumed that the article would inform us that these 5 gallons were radioactive or had some type of dangerous medical material in it, so I read it. No worries there was no radioactive material or dangerous medical waste in the sewer water.

It was simply as stated in the headline 5 gallons of sewer water that overflowed due to a blocked pipe at the U of M Physical Properties Building on February 1^st. Those 5 gallons affected a total of 16 square feet of the surface and did not enter the storm sewer system or any groundwater.

They want you to not worry because the 5 gallons 16 square feet sewer water spill was cleaned up and the “required notifications were made to Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, as well as the Washtenaw County Health Department, officials said”.

I ask myself what the story is here. I cannot even think of any reason why this story would make a news site that publishes news from around the entire state. Is this even a story that needs to be published locally let alone state-wide?

Am I missing something here or was it truly a slow day of reporting for MLive? I have been there before but would never have thought to report on a 5-gallon sewer water spill that affected 16 square feet and did not involve radiation or a very dangerous medical by-product.

Perhaps someone can help me understand this.

When I finished reading the piece I immediately thought of the following scene in the classic Caddyshack movie: