Employees with pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) dumped more than 45 liters of concentrated live polio into the water at a Belgian treatment plant earlier this month according to a statement from health officials.

A press release from the Federal Public Service (FPS) Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment in Belgium stated that "human error" resulted in the live virus making its way into the Lasne and Dyle rivers in Rixensart on Sept. 2.

"The liquid was rejected, according to initial information provided by the firm GSK, due to human error during the process of vaccine production," the press release states. "The water from the treatment plant in question is not discharged to the supply network for drinking water."