Raw sewage leaked from a pipe into Battery Creek for 3 days. Now changes are coming
A large sewage spill in Beaufort — which flowed for three days beginning in late January before it was detected —has prompted Beaufort Jasper Water and Sewer Authority to consider monitoring and materials improvements to prevent future accidents.
Meanwhile, after a 21-day closure, shellfish beds in Battery Creek and portions of the Broad River, from the Broad River Bridge south to Archers Creek and east to Malecon Drive on Parris Island, are once again suitable for harvesting, said Mike Marshall, manager of Department of Health and Environmental Control’s Shellfish Sanitation Section.
A DHEC spokesperson said the agency determined that no enforcement action will be taken against BJWSA because it appropriately reported the spill and took the necessary actions to minimize impacts.
Some 500,000 gallons of sewage flowed from a Beaufort-Jasper Water and Sewer Authority pipe, most of it into Battery Creek, which caused fecal coliform to rise above recommended levels and the state Department of Environmental Health and Control (DHEC) to issue an emergency order closing shellfish harvesting.
A discharge of at least 5,000 gallons of untreated or partially treated sewage is considered “significant,” under the state Pollution Control Act. Because of the close proximity of the failed pipe to Battery Creek, “the vast majority of the spill was unrecoverable,” BJWSA spokesperson Pam Flasch said at the time.
BJWSA plans changes
Last week, BJWSA reported that it had received a customer complaint about a strong sewer odor Monday, Jan. 31, with crews responded immediately. The overflow was stopped within two-and-a-half hours and crews later discovered an 18-inch split in the pipe.
Due to the location of the pipeline a few feet in front of a 54-inch storm drain, stormwater washed away the soil covering the iron sewer main, BJWSA said. During high tide, the sewer pipeline was exposed to salt water, which accelerated corrosion, causing its premature failure, BJWSA said.
However, the odor, it turns out, had initially been detected three days earlier, on Friday, Jan. 28, but it was not reported to BJWSA. The utility is now reminding customers to report any sewer odors immediately so it can respond to potential issues.
As a result of the pipe failure, BJWSA said it will begin utilizing GIS data to identify mains at a higher risk for corrosion, BJWSA said. As the segments are identified, visual inspections will be conducted. In addition, BJWSA said, it will consider alternative pipe materials that are not susceptible to corrosive conditions at these locations.
For more information on clam and oyster harvesting areas in Beaufort County, call DHEC’s Beaufort Environmental Affairs Office at 843-846-1030 or visit www.scdhec.gov/shellfish.
This story was originally published February 22, 2022 at 2:59 PM.
