PAINTING POLE, GREASE & DEBRIS LEAD TO SEWER OVERFLOW IN CARY

CARY , NC – A painter’s extension pole lodged in a sewer line led to a 6,516-gallon sanitary sewer overflow from a surcharging manhole at the 200 Block of Ashley Brook Court on Tuesday, April 28, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. ; the pole had collected grease and debris while in the line.  All of the untreated waste reached an unnamed tributary of Crabtree Creek; 10 fish were killed. The unnamed tributary was dammed, flushed with dechlorinated water and raked for any debris.  Then, the water was pumped back in to the collection system.  All areas around the overflowing manhole were cleaned and limed. 

To decrease such incidents, the Town of Cary in 1998 established a Pretreatment Program designed to work with property owners to reduce the amount of fats, oils, and greases (FOG) that are dumped into the municipal sewer system each year.   When such spills do occur, the pretreatment team sends reminder letters about the problems associated with FOG to area residents and businesses.

Helpful publications from the FOG program, which are available at www.townofcary.org, include:

What do I do if I have a sewer blockage?

Do's and Don'ts - Sanitary Sewer System

FOG Bill Insert

How to dispose of cooking grease

How blockage affects the sewer system

Common items that should not be disposed of in the sewer

The web section also includes a short video of the inside of a sewage line coated with grease.

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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