An accidental break in a sewer line caused the spill of roughly 10,000 gallons or so of sewage in downtown Winslow Friday.

A contractor installing underground cable in the 200 block of Madison Avenue South hit the city’s sewer force main at approximately 11:45 a.m. Friday, Dec. 21, city officials said.

The sewer force main is a pressurized portion of the sewer conveyance system that ultimately transmits sewage to the wastewater treatment plant. The sewage was contained in a vacant lot in the 200 block of Madison Avenue and city officials said the spill apparently did not reach the city’s stormwater system or Eagle Harbor.

The Kitsap Public Health District was notified of the spill, and people in the surrounding area were told to limit their water usage while the line was repaired.

Work to repair the broken pipe led to a closure of Madison Avenue from Bjune Drive to Parfitt Way for several hours Friday.