(NewsNation) — The town of Carmel, Indiana, is bracing for the worst as erosion caused by historic flooding threatens its main sewage line. To buy itself time, the city has built a makeshift dam out of Sycamore trees and concrete.

The water main carries around 90% of the city's waste. If it fails, it could send raw sewage directly into the state's White River.

To slow the progression of the erosion, the city worked overnight to implement "Operation Beaver Dam," which Carmel Mayor Sue Finkam says is working.

"This channel had been eroding back to the river 200 feet the night before. Last night, it only moved 20 feet, and that is amazingly positive news," she told NewsNation on "Morning in America." "We're cautiously optimistic here in Carmel."

 Indiana small business owner shares flood losses 

Finkam, who has touted before that her city was named one of the best places to live in the U.S., is realistic about the length of the town's recovery.

"It's gonna be a lengthy process, probably two years or more for this whole area to be rehabilitated and made whole," she said.

Still, she's positive about it's ability to bounce back.

"Our community is awesome," she said. "We were evacuating on Saturday; today, we're starting the cleanup process, getting some of these folks to see their homes."

Cleanup continues across Indiana, where flooding has killed at least seven people. More than 90,000 people remain without power.

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