34K gallons of wastewater overflowed in Bluffton neighborhood. Here’s what happened
An estimated 34,000 gallons of wastewater overflowed from a sewer force main in Palmetto Bluff on Friday, according to a Beaufort-Jasper Water and Sewer Authority news release.
The cause? The sewer main failed after lightning stuck a nearby tree.
Palmetto Bluff residents alerted BJWSA of the overflow, and crews removed the water with vacuum trucks and emptied it at a wastewater plant. BJWSA said it’s currently in the cleanup and recovery process.
BJWSA notified the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control and has posted signs to let the public know what’s going on, according to the Saturday news release. Wastewater overflows of more than 5,000 gallons of untreated or partially treated domestic sewage could cause a serious adverse impact on the environment or public health, according to SCDHEC’s website.
Pam Flasch, BJWSA director of public affairs, said there was no public health threat because the spill was immediately rectified.
Early this year, in late January, an estimated 500,000 gallons of sewage spilled from a sewer main into a tidal ditch that leads to Battery Creek in Beaufort. The spill occurred near the intersection of Parris Island Gateway and the Savannah Highway and prompted an immediate closure of shellfish harvest beds.
BJWSA delivers about 10 million gallons of wastewater each day to eight wastewater treatment facilities for treatment and disposal. For any type of spill from the sewer collection system, contact BJWSA at 843-987-9200.
This story was originally published July 23, 2022 at 11:43 AM.
