45K gallons of wastewater spilled in Bluffton neighborhood. Here’s what happened
An estimated 45,000 gallons of wastewater were released from a gravity main Saturday in Bluffton, according to a Beaufort-Jasper Water and Sewer Authority news release Monday evening, but the spill did not impact the water system in the area and water coming into homes is safe to use and drink.
The cause? A structural failure of the main at the manhole located in The Farm neighborhood.
Dirt got into the failed section, and the weight of the dirt, as well as the actual sediment, led to a blockage precipitating the overflow of thousands of gallons of wastewater. The sewage flowed into the ponds of adjacent neighborhoods, the authority said, which was diluted by the deluge of rain Saturday night and Sunday.
BJWSA notified the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control of the break, which the authority said did not impact the water system in the area.
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.
About a year ago, a spill over 10 times that size happened in Beaufort. Then, in late January 2022, 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.
However, the Saturday wastewater overflow in The Farm neighborhood has not caused those types of impacts.
Pam Flasch, BJWSA director of public affairs, said Tuesday morning that the wastewater break has “absolutely no relation” to the authority’s water system, meaning water flowing in homes is safe to use and drink.
Because of the somewhat fortuitous weekend rainfall, the sheer volume of rain diluted what could’ve affected the ponds. Flasch said the break’s impact couldn’t have reached the May River.
While the Saturday overflow in The Farm neighborhood has been stopped and crews are continuing cleanup, Flasch said the biggest issue remains a traffic detour to avoid the break for safety reasons. The detour will remain in place until repairs are finished.
Because the manhole couldn’t be saved, the area is served with a bypass pump to ensure service isn’t disrupted, the BJWSA said. The authority expects repairs will take “several weeks.”
According to BJWSA, it continues to communicate with residents at The Farm and the Homeowners Association on the repair schedule and potential impacts.
The authority delivers about 10 million gallons of wastewater each day to eight wastewater treatment facilities for treatment and disposal. For any suspected or seen sewer collection system spills, call BJWSA at 843-987-9200.
This story was originally published February 14, 2023 at 1:05 PM.
