Crews try to stem flow as tunnel hits sewage line near Mexico border

By the CNN Wire Staff

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

As the flow of sewage slows overnight, more progress may be made
The line carries 21 million gallons of sewage a day
It's unclear how much has leaked
It pipe isn't fixed son, sewage could back up on the U.S. side

(CNN) -- Utility crews struggled early Tuesday to stem the flow from a sewage line near Arizona damaged by suspected drug smugglers who were attempting to dig a tunnel under the Mexico-U.S. border, officials said.

The 30-inch line, located on the Mexican side of the border, runs north and carries raw sewage from Mexico, carrying about 21 million gallons of it a day, said Public Works Director Flavio Gonzales of Nogales Utility in Arizona.

The high flow of sewage was making it difficult for crews to reach the area of the leak. As the flow slows overnight, more progress is hoped for, Gonzales said.

Gonzales was concerned that if the pipe isn't fixed soon, the sewage could back up on the U.S. side of the border.

"We can't plug it off here so we are working with Mexico guys to plug it off there -- that way we don't get raw sewage backing up on our streets," he said.

It wasn't clear whether the line had been cracked or completely broken. Officials were trying to determine how much had leaked so far, Gonzales said.

The leak is located under the intersection of Robins Avenue and International Street.

CNN's Amanda Watts and Leslie Tripp contributed to this report