Okatie, SC (December 9, 2011) —An estimated 500 gallons of sewage was spilled near a tributary to Battery Creek in Beaufort on around 4:00 p.m. Dece mber 8, 2011. The overflow was caused by a break in a sewer pipe near the inters ection of Battery Creek Rd and 1 st Blvd. BJWSA crews were in the ar ea at a nearby pumpstation as part of pump replacement already scheduled as a result of its ongoing inspecting program. The leak occurred while the pump station work was in progress, and crews noticed it and started work to repair it immediately. BJWSA also not ified the SC Depar tment of Health and Environmental (SCDHEC), which has, as a precaution, tempor arily closed shellfish beds in the area. At this point, it is unclear how much of t he 500 gallons of sewage overflowed into the tributary. BJWSA continues to work with SCDHEC by jointly sampling t he affected area’s water to test for the presence of harmful bacteria. Si gns notifying the public of the Sewer Spill Overflow have been posted in the Battery Creek and surrounding areas until the SCDHEC determines that the shellfish be ds are safe for harvesting. BJWSA has a well trained and ex perienced field operations crew to operate, maintain and monitor our wastewater collection system. Thes e crews are responsible for the safe daily delivery of an average of 6.5 million gallons of wastewater to multiple wastewater treatment facilities for treatment and disposal. BJWSA’s SSO Notification Program is desi gned to educate and notif y the public about releases from BJWSA’s wastewater system. The program uses the website and signs posted at overflow sites to provide information to interested and affected citizens.
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