3,500 gallons of sewage spills into Lake Wylie

An estimated 3,500 gallons of sewage spilled into the lake Sept. 23 at River Hills Plantation.

“Due to a sewer main blockage, we experienced a sanitary sewer overflow from a manhole behind 33 Timberidge Drive that flowed into a cove of Lake Wylie between Pine Point and Evergreen roads,” said Tom Oakley with Utilities Inc., parent company of provider Carolina Water Service.

Oakley said the company received notification about 7 a.m. and the blockage was cleared just after 10 a.m. The state health department was notified and was on site Wednesday.

“We estimate about 3,500 gallons of wastewater flowed from the manhole, and the area has been cleaned and sanitized,” Oakley said. “We have placed ‘no swimming’ signs at the cove that was impacted and have asked residents to avoid contact with this confined area until further notice.”

The company also sent out a voice message to residents. The no swim advisory will be lifted when water quality samples indicate safe levels as deemed by the state.

River Hills Community Association General Manager Karen Summers confirmed the spill and cleanup followed quickly.

“It’s just about all cleaned up right now,” she said by mid-afternoon Wednesday.

Summers deferred to Carolina Water Service for details about the spill, but said it resulted from a piece of broken pipe clogging the system.

“It slowly built up over a period of time, and it slowly backed up the system,” she said.

Oakley said earlier Wednesday the issue was under control.

“There was a line break, which has been stopped,” he said. “It is not ongoing.”

The community association sent an email to residents mid-afternoon stating the overflow happened on the 13th fairway of River Hills Country Club golf course.

“Carolina Water representatives assures us that the amount that entered the lake was minimal,” it states.

This story was originally published September 23, 2015 at 3:34 PM with the headline "3,500 gallons of sewage spills into Lake Wylie."