Richmond Va.-based Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center evacuated staff and informed patients of cancellations after a serious sewage leak seeped into the basement where medical equipment is sterilized, according to NBC 12.
The leak arose from a plumbing issue in a first floor bathroom that caused contaminated water to spill into the basement where sterilized operating instruments are kept. Jennifer Marshall, local American Federation of Government Employees union president, said "there were feces running down the walls," NBC 12 reported.
The clean up, repairs and inspections could take weeks to complete.
Extensive cleanup and efforts to find and fix the plumbing issue began immediately after the leak was reported, according to the hospital.