Massive rain caused an overflow at a Lake Wylie power plant. Here’s what we know now.
A Duke Energy power plant on the northern end of Lake Wylie spilled industrial stormwater that made its way to the river and lake.
According to Duke, there isn’t any environmental or public health threat from the incident.
“Industrial stormwater is rain water that runs off from an industrial site,” said Duke spokesperson Heather Danenhower. “The runoff would pick up traces of dust and oil from the paved areas at the plant, similar to what would wash off a road or parking lot. We practice good housekeeping by keeping the plant site clean, but we can’t totally prevent dust and oil from washing out during rain events.”
Duke notified state regulators Thursday after massive rains caused a 110-by-180-foot stormwater basin at the Allen Steam Plan in Belmont, North Carolina to overflow. According to Duke, about 3,000 gallons of stormwater flowed into a tributary that leads to the South Fork Catawba River. The South Fork and main channel Catawba River combine at Lake Wylie.
The basin was empty before the rain, according to Duke, and had recently been cleaned. The overflow happened from 9:21 to 11:19 a.m. Thursday. Duke reported it to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality at 4:16 p.m.
The Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation has been involved in Duke’s effort to remove coal ash from basins at Allen and other sites. Riverkeeper Brandon Jones said he’s glad the incident at Allen wasn’t worse.
“This week’s heavy rainfall has resulted in extensive property damage and loss of life,” Jones said. “We’re relieved that a coal ash spill was not added to the many pollutants mobilized during the flooding. This stormwater release underscores the importance of our recent settlement to move all ash from unlined pits to capped storage above the water table.”
Duke manages the 11 reservoirs on the Catawba basin. Some spilled Thursday. On Friday afternoon, a separate notice from Duke urged continued caution on and near the water. Parts of the basin received six to eight inches of water in fewer than 32 hours.
Lookout Shoals Lake and Mountain Island Lake will continue spilling for several days. Lake Wateree will begin spilling later today. The two largest lakes, Lake Wylie and Lake Norman, were within inches of their full pond stages early Friday afternoon.
“Lake residents should prepare for possible flooding conditions and closely monitor lake levels. High water conditions can create navigational hazards,” Friday’s notice stated. “We urge people living along lakes and rivers or in flood-prone areas to use caution, follow directions from emergency managers, pay close attention to changing weather and streamflow conditions and stay informed.”
This story was originally published November 13, 2020 at 1:08 PM.
