Syracuse, N.Y. -- A busted sewer pipe has spewed 4.5 million gallons of raw sewage and rain water into Onondaga Lake after heavy rains the past few days, Onondaga County reported today.

The pipe is the same one that burst a year ago during heavy rains. The pipe, called the Ley Creek force main, has failed several times in the past five years and is slated to be replaced.

In a required notice filed this afternoon, Onondaga County said the pipe broke about 9:45 a.m. Monday after 3.5 inches of rain fell in two days. The break lasted for 8.3 hours, and sewage spilled at a rate of 9,000 gallons per minute, the notice said.

The Ley Creek pipe that runs along the CSX railroad tracks over Onondaga Lake broke after similarly heavy rains in late October 2016. By the time the county diverted more raw sewage into the lake in order to fix the pipe, a total of 13 million gallons had poured into the lake.

The county will have to bypass the pipe again, said county spokesman Justin Sayles. He did not provide details.

Two weeks ago, the county's Water Environment Protection commissioner told a legislative committee that the 2.25-mile Ley Creek pipe has failed three times in five years.

"This is a significant piece of 50-year-old infrastructure that needs to be completely replaced," Tom Rhoads told the Environmental Protection Committee. Rhoads is seeking $18 million from the county Legislature to replace the Ley Creek and Liverpool force mains.

The two pipes drain sewage from most of the eastern half of Onondaga County. The expected service life of pipes like those is 50 years, Rhoads told legislators.

In 2016, nearly 4 inches of rain fell on Oct. 21 and 22. This week, 3.5 inches of rain fell in three days, including two record-breaking days Sunday and Monday.

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