CARY, NC – Vandals threw boulders onto a clay sewer collection pipe, breaking the pipe and causing a 1,731 gallon spill in central Cary. The problem in front of 423 Dorothy Drive was brought to the attention of the town by an alert citizen who reported the problem at 6 p.m. on Sunday night. Untreated waste escaped from the pipe and reached a stream leading to Kildaire Lake; however, repair crews installed a temporary dam to keep the waste from traveling downstream, limed and flushed the affected area, and pumped the waste back into the municipal treatment system. No fish kill was observed.

The NC Division of Water Quality was notified of the spill, and Cary police are investigating the crime.

Cary Crime Stoppers will pay up to $2,500 for information leading to the identification and apprehension of the individual responsible for this crime. Anyone with information may contact Crimestoppers at 226-CRIME (226-2746); for Cary Police press 3 at the prompt or call (919) 469-4017. All calls will be kept CONFIDENTIAL.

The Clean Water Act adopted by the NC General Assembly requires that a news release be issued by public works operators within 48 hours whenever a wastewater spill of 1,000 gallons or greater reaches surface waters.

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