"The first thing I thought was something died," said neighbor Fred Incorvaia.
"We woke up this morning to this unbelievable smell and we didn't really know what it was," said another neighbor.
What it was, was raw sewage running like a river through the back yards of a Palm Harbor neighborhood.
"A thousand gallons a minute kinda of worries me," said one concerned resident.
County crews worked through the day to stop the foul liquid from gushing out of a 30 inch break in an underground sewer line. Pumper trucks drove in and out filled to the brim. Signs now sit in back yards advising people to stay away from the sludge.
"Thats pretty scary especially because I have kids and that's not something we want to have happen thats for sure," said Incorvaia.
Crews originally worried the sewage would find its way to this nearby retention pond, threatening birds and other wildlife.
"The sewage never made it to the lake, it is contained within the pipe," said County official Alan Bollenbacher.
Trucks will pump the sewage from pipes throughout the night before crews begin work to find the leak Wednesday.
For now, neighbors have been told to limit their use of showers, toilets and other optional water use.
Officials warn tonight it won't be a quick fix and could take days to get this mess cleaned up entirely.
