City: No health hazard from sewage overflow
Last Updated on 12/4/2008
Published on 9/4/2008
By Tommy Howard
thoward@gtowntimes.com
Tests of water in Whites Creek and the Sampit River Tuesday and Wednesday show that there is no danger to the public from a sewage overflow in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Lane Mixon, manager of the City of Georgetown water utilities department, told the Georgetown Times late Thursday that samples "came back within acceptable limits for fecal coliform. When I informed DHEC of the results (Wednesday), they asked that we take a couple of follow-up samples further upstream in Whites Creek as a precautionary measure."
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control provided use of a boat for one of the city's wastewater plant operators Wednesday afternoon.
"We grabbed two samples in Whites Creek," Mixon said, "along with another sample from the same location in the Sampit River. When we got the results of those tests (Thursday), all three of the samples were also within acceptable limits."
With those results, DHEC believes the spill was not as large as city staff thought.
The first estimate was that 164,000 gallons of sewage overflowed into Whites Creek after a power outage on Monday at the plant.
"We are confident that there was no health danger to anyone downstream of the spill and we do not expect to receive any fines from DHEC," Mixon said.
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Just what is the acceptable limit of fecal coliform? Seems to me that any limit of fecal coliform can't be good. DHEC where are you? Posted by Resident on 9/5/2008
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Ok, a city worker took the samples? Why would dhec not do it? If my plant just ran over I would find the cleanest spot I could to take the sample. Less public outrage if the test come back clean. Im not fishing in whites creek, I dont care what you say. Lol how much sewage in your fish is to much? Posted by LOL on 9/4/2008
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