‘Stay out of the water,’ officials say after sewer overflows into Midlands creek
Sewage flowed into multiple Midlands waterways Friday and Saturday, affecting some residents in Lexington and Richland counties.
The areas affected are near Hollingshed Creek and Rawls Creek.
After untreated sewage entered Hollingshed Creek, Richland County Utilities officials warned people to stay out of the water until at least Monday.
The overflow was caused by a faulty pump station, Richland County officials said in a news release.
The seeping untreated sewage was stopped Saturday, according to the release. But because of treatment to the area, residents and others are asked to avoid the area along the creek as a precaution, Richland County officials said.
Less than 10 miles away in Lexington County, a sewer on Broad River Road overflowed into Rawls Creek Saturday night, according to City of Columbia Wastewater staff. Heavy rains are blamed for the overflow near Saluda Shoals Park, Columbia officials said.
Columbia Water customers near the park were warned about the Rawls Creek overflow Sunday morning. No specific cause for the spill was available, beyond being triggered by the weather.
While the flow of sewage was identified at 9 p.m. Saturday, work on the cleanup did not begin until Sunday morning because of safety concerns, Columbia officials said.
Anyone with questions or concerns about the Rawls Creek sewer spill can contact Columbia Water at 803-545-3300 or customercare@columbiasc.gov.
The Midlands had at least three spills on Friday, Congaree Riverkeeper Bill Stangler told The State. On that day, the Columbia area received about 4.2 inches of rain, according to the National Weather Service.
That was a record amount for rainfall in a single December day in Columbia, the NWS said in a WLTX report.
On Friday, sludge that was being kept at a Friarsgate treatment plant owned by Blue Granite water washed into the Rawls Creek, company spokesman Dave Wilson told The State.
South Carolina Department of Heath and Environmental Control is investigating the spill into the creek that flows into the Saluda River, The State reported.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
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This story was originally published December 15, 2019 at 9:30 AM.
