CARY, NC – Construction debris blocking a sewer line caused a sanitary sewer overflow at a manhole near Heritage Pines Drive in northwestern Cary on Tuesday. While responsibility for the blockage has not been assigned at this time, Town crews did respond to the citizen-reported spill, managing the initial response, cleanup, and restoration efforts.

Preliminary estimates place the overflow at about 37,000 gallons; however, this number could change over the next few days as the Town continues its investigation into the incident. Fortunately, a silt fence limited the amount of untreated waste that appears to have reached an unnamed tributary of Crabtree Creek where no fish kill was observed. Tests of the stream water at the end of the day Tuesday following a few hours of cleanup indicated that the water quality had returned to normal. However, it will take longer to clean and restore about 10,000 square feet of affected land surrounding the manhole.

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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