Several Western North Carolina communities experienced untreated or partially-treated wastewater spills following the heavy rain of Tuesday, Jan. 9.
Spokespersons from Hendersonville, Brevard, Franklin and Buncombe County each detailed these spills that took place within their city and town limits.
On Tuesday, Jan. 9, the City of Hendersonville's Wastewater Collection System experienced 10 discharges of untreated wastewater from its collection system. The largest two spills were in amounts of approximately 4,120 gallons (from a manhole located at 77 Winding Meadows Drive) and 3,410 gallons (from a manhole located 873 Lennox Park Drive).
All the sanitary sewage overflows happened because of excessive rainfall, and the spillages went into Mud Creek, Wash Creek and King Creek in the French Broad River Basin.
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) Division of Water Resources was notified of the event on Jan. 10.
Franklin
The Town of Franklin saw an overflow spill of an estimated 350,000 gallons of partially treated wastewater at its Wastewater Treatment Facility following excessive flows into the system on Jan. 9. The overflow began at 12:30 p.m. Jan. 9 and continued for about 12 hours, until 12:30 a.m. Jan. 10, once water levels subsided.
The partially treated water was released into the Little Tennessee River.
FLOODING DAMAGE FORCES CLOSURE OF SOUTH MILLS GAP ROAD BRIDGE, 2-MILE DETOUR SET
A second discharge took place Jan. 9 from about 9:45 a.m. until 2:45 p.m., resulting in 14,000 gallons of untreated wastewater being released from three manholes off East Main Street and Crane Circle. Of the 14,000 gallons, approximately 3,500 gallons reached the Little Tennessee River.
Officials said no drinking water source was impacted.
A spokesperson for the Town of Franklin said all spill areas have been contained and impacted areas have been cleaned as necessary.
As required by the state following spillage events, water monitoring samples are being taken both upstream and downstream from the plant.
Total precipitation during the times of overflow in Franklin was measured at 3.58 inches.
Brevard
The city of Brevard experienced four wastewater spills on Jan. 9.
The first discharge of untreated wastewater -- of 6,100 gallons -- took place at a manhole at 350 Greenville Highway.
The second spillage noted by the city was approximately 76,350 gallons from the city's wastewater collection system at the Gallimore Road Lift Station located at 273 Gallimore Road. That untreated wastewater spilled into Singing Branch Creek. Brevard's Sewer Collections Division of Public Works pumped and hauled 47,500 gallons during the event, having already pumped and hauled 7,500 gallons prior to the onset of the event.
Brevard had a third untreated wastewater spill of approximately 10,650 gallons from a manhole at 31 Burnette Lane, and the water flowed into Lambs Creek.
A 16,100-gallon spill also happened from a manhole located at 287 College Plaza, and flowed into Kings Creek.
The Metropolitan Sewerage District of Buncombe County experienced a discharge of untreated sewage in the area of 100 Sierra Nevada Way. Officials said approximately 54,000 gallons of sewage spilled into the French Broad River over the course of 10 hours on Jan. 9.
STORY & PHOTO COURTESY OF ABC 13 WLOShttps://wlos.com/news/local/gallery/cities-towns-thousands-gallons-untreated-wastewater-spills-overflows-after-excessive-heavy-rainfall-january-9-hendersonville-brevard-buncombe-franklin?photo=1
