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Heavy rains cause sewage spill in Plymouth
Lift station couldn’t handle extra water
By NIKIE MAYO, Staff Writer
Untreated sewage— 2,850 gallons worth— spilled into a tributary to Plymouth’s Conaby Creek this week when heavy rains overwhelmed the sewer system.
Remnants of Tropical Storm Alberto taxed the lift station on Golf Road, according to a press release from Plymouth’s public works department. Lift stations pump sewage from one area to another.
The spill started about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday and lasted until just after midnight Thursday, said Wayne Bryant, an environmental specialist with the N.C. Division of Water Quality.
“The storm event caused the station to take on more wastewater than it could pump,” Bryant said
No penalties have been assessed.
“This was a significant rainfall event, not just for Plymouth but all across the state. ... We do look at relevant factors like that,” he said.
The town is responsible for cleanup and and public works director Bill Ehrenbeck is in charge of that, Bryant said.
“This spill is predominately one of water and very little solids. Particularly with this sort of weather event, there is a high expectation of dilution. The cleanup should be minimal,” Bryant said.
“We know they’ve been actively trying to identify the problems and correct them,” he said.
Plymouth has received a nearly $2 million grant from the Clean Water Management Trust Fund for water- and sewer-system upgrades .
The sewer lines in the affected drainage basin are scheduled to be repaired next year with some of those funds.
Neither Ehrenbeck nor Town Manager James Tripp could be reached for comment before press time.
By NIKIE MAYO, Staff Writer
Untreated sewage— 2,850 gallons worth— spilled into a tributary to Plymouth’s Conaby Creek this week when heavy rains overwhelmed the sewer system.
Remnants of Tropical Storm Alberto taxed the lift station on Golf Road, according to a press release from Plymouth’s public works department. Lift stations pump sewage from one area to another.
The spill started about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday and lasted until just after midnight Thursday, said Wayne Bryant, an environmental specialist with the N.C. Division of Water Quality.
“The storm event caused the station to take on more wastewater than it could pump,” Bryant said
No penalties have been assessed.
“This was a significant rainfall event, not just for Plymouth but all across the state. ... We do look at relevant factors like that,” he said.
The town is responsible for cleanup and and public works director Bill Ehrenbeck is in charge of that, Bryant said.
“This spill is predominately one of water and very little solids. Particularly with this sort of weather event, there is a high expectation of dilution. The cleanup should be minimal,” Bryant said.
“We know they’ve been actively trying to identify the problems and correct them,” he said.
Plymouth has received a nearly $2 million grant from the Clean Water Management Trust Fund for water- and sewer-system upgrades .
The sewer lines in the affected drainage basin are scheduled to be repaired next year with some of those funds.
Neither Ehrenbeck nor Town Manager James Tripp could be reached for comment before press time.
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