‘Very large’ spill dumps sewage into Congaree River in Columbia, officials say

Large volumes of raw sewage spilled into the Congaree River on Wednesday as crews from Columbia worked to contain leaks, according to a local river protection group.

Both the Richland County and Lexington County sides of the Congaree were affected by the sewage overflow, Columbia officials said.

Information on how much sewage overflowed into the river was not available, but the spill was called “VERY LARGE” by the Congaree Riverkeeper.

A blockage in the force main likely caused the overflow of sanitary sewage entering the Congaree River, Columbia officials said.

The sewage overflow was confirmed by Columbia officials at 7:30 p.m. The first spill was reported near 100 Wheat St. in Richland County.

The river near the Blossom Street bridge and Founders Park, the University of South Carolina’s baseball stadium, had received some of the sewage, according to the Congaree Riverkeeper.

Spills also were reported on the Lexington County side of the Congaree River, along the Cayce and West Columbia riverwalks, the Riverkeeper said.

As of 2 a.m., all sewage spills overflowing into the river had stopped, according to Columbia officials.

Before getting the spills stopped, officials said they diverted the flow from the pump station to a gravity line to mitigate the overflow.

Because of the volume of the spills, a swimming advisory is being issued for the Congaree River from the confluence downstream to the Rosewood Landing, according to the Riverkeeper.

“People should avoid contact with the river in this area, and be cautious of any sewage along the riverwalks,” the Riverkeeper said.

A cleanup of the Congaree River had previously been scheduled for Thursday morning.

Sportsman’s Warehouse of Columbia was sponsoring a clean-up event for its employees on the Congaree as a “thank you” and show of support to the S.C. Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division, DNR officials said in a news release.

Plans were in place to primarily clean litter along the shores of the Congaree River and surrounding areas in part of the Riverfront Park in downtown Columbia, according to the release.

There was no word if the clean-up event was still held following the overnight sewage spill.

Additionally, a portion of the West Columbia Riverwalk, from Moffatt Street to the Gervais Street bridge, was temporarily closed Thursday because of maintenance. There was no word if this was related to the sewage spill.

This is a developing story, check back for updates.

This story was originally published July 22, 2021 at 8:28 AM.

Noah Feit

The State

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Noah Feit is a Real Time reporter with The State focused on breaking news, public safety and trending news. The award-winning journalist has worked for multiple newspapers since starting his career in 1999. Support my work with a digital subscription

Sammy Fretwell

The State

803-771-8537

Sammy Fretwell has covered the environment beat for The State since 1995. He writes about an array of issues, including wildlife, climate change, energy, state environmental policy, nuclear waste and coastal development. He has won numerous awards, including Journalist of the Year by the S.C. Press Association in 2017. Fretwell is a University of South Carolina graduate who grew up in Anderson County. Reach him at 803 771 8537. Support my work with a digital subscription