EXCESSIVE RAINS LEAD TO ONGOING SEWER OVERFLOW AT CARY WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT

CARY , NC – The Town of Cary is working with the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources to investigate an ongoing sewer spill that began at 9:46 a.m. on Thursday, June 15 at the North Cary Water Reclamation Facility, 1900 Old Reedy Creek Road .  Officials estimated that untreated sewage in excess of 500,000 gallons per day is leaking from an adjacent pump station’s wet well and making its way into Crabtree Creek .  No fish kill has been observed as of yet.

Rains from the remnants of Tropical Storm Alberto have caused unprecedented lake flooding over sewer system manholes that are upstream of Cary ’s pump station and treatment plant.  Millions of gallons of this floodwater is making its way into Cary ’s treatment system. Normally, the Town processes about six million gallons of wastewater at this plant per day; currently, the Town is treating 17 million gallons of wastewater per day, which is still not enough processing to keep up with demand.

“We are working around the clock to find the source of the water infiltration,” said the Town’s Utilities Director Rob Bonné.  “As many as 15 employees have been searching during daylight hours by boat and canoe as well as wading in the floodwaters to find the trouble spot, which is likely a dislodged manhole cover.  Crews will continue working over the weekend to find the source of the problem.”

The Clean Water Act requires public notice in the form of a news release issued by public works operators within 48 hours of the detection of a wastewater overflow of 1,000 gallons or greater that also reaches surface waters.  Paid advertisements are also necessary for spills in excess of 14,999 gallons.

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