WIS News 10 - Columbia, South Carolina | DHEC: Rain causing sewer overflows into rivers

DHEC: Rain causing sewer overflows into rivers

By Jack Kuenzie - bio | email

COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - The weather isn't just causing travel headaches in the state as the Department of Health and Environmental Control says several utility companies are reporting spills of untreated and partially treated sewage.

Harry Mathis, director of DHEC’s Region 3 Environmental Quality Control which serves Richland, Lexington, Newberry, Fairfield, Chester, York and Lancaster counties, says the discharges are entering the Broad, Saluda and Congaree Rivers in Columbia.

"What's happening is these collection lines are getting overloaded, they're getting clogged, backing up, so what we've had reports of are sewer line overflows. We've also had problems at the sewage treatment plants themselves because of so much water coming in they can't handle all the water coming in at one time and that's resulting in spills," said Thom Berry with DHEC.

The City of Columbia has issued five different advisories in the Columbia area:

• 5000 block of Brickyard Road
• 4200 block of Timberlane Drive
• 5900 block of Monticello Road
• 100 block of Wheat Street
• Saluda Trail Area

DHEC has begun posting signs at access points on the rivers to let people know of the problem.

In the mean time, they are asking people to avoid contact with areas where there are obvious overflows and limit contact with the three rivers.

Mathis is also asking anyone who sees an overflowing sewer line should contact their local wastewater utility.

Copyright 2009 WIS. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.