The Metropolitan Council is looking for the rightful owner of a lost diamond ring that was found at the Rogers Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Metropolitan Council said all kinds of debris enter the waste stream every day, from candy wrappers to pocket change to personal hygiene items.

But back in March, a maintenance crew was working on a piece of equipment that separates large and heavy items from the wastewater when a technician spotted a shiny object in the sand and grit and discovered that it was a diamond ring.

“Boy, probably the same as my odds of winning the lottery,” John Tierney, the mechanical maintenance manager for Metropolitan Council’s environmental services division, said of finding the ring. “I mean, you’re not going to look for that and find it. The odds are astronomical.”

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Council said they know the ring entered the wastewater stream near Rogers. They don’t know how long the ring has been there.

The Rogers facility opened in the 1960s, so he said it is possible the ring could have been trapped in debris for decades.

For now, officials are only providing a vague description of the ring.

“It’s gold, a certain color of gold with a bunch of diamonds,” Tierney said. “The design is very unique so I think anybody who lost it, they’d be able to describe it identically to the way it looks.”

If you think the ring may be yours, you can submit a photo of the ring or provide a detailed description by emailing MCES-Inquiries@metc.state.mn.us or by calling 651-602-1269. A photo of the ring will not be released but the Met Council says it has distinctive features that the owner will be able to describe.

“There are only three things you should flush,” Tierney added, “and a diamond ring isn’t one of them.”

Tierney noted this is also a good opportunity for people to see all the inappropriate items that end up in our sewer systems and reconsider their own habits.