CFPUA stops multiple sanitary sewer overflows caused by Debby

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Cape Fear Public Utility Authority crews working through Tropical Storm Debby stopped a number of sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) caused by heavy rainfall.

The SSOs were all reported Thursday, August 8, at manholes or sewer cleanouts at four locations: the 4600 block of Bentley Drive, the intersection of Kirby Smith Drive and Joe Wheeler Drive, the intersection of Shinnwood Road and Inlet View Drive, and the 1900 block of Prestwick Lane.

Due to ongoing rainfall and flooding conditions, crews implemented pump and haul operations to remove wastewater from the sewer system at the sites of the SSOs until sewer flow levels returned to normal. All four SSOs were stopped by Thursday afternoon.

During the SSOs, the following estimated volumes of untreated wastewater escaped:

• Bentley Drive: 966 gallons to a tributary of Hewletts Creek
• Kirby Smith Drive: 1,521 gallons to a tributary of Hewletts Creek
• Shinnwood Road: 1,911 gallons to a waterway flowing to the Intracoastal Waterway
• Prestwick Lane: 756 gallons to a waterway flowing to the Intracoastal Waterway

Pump and haul operations at the four sites were used to safety transport nearly 77,000 gallons of wastewater to CFPUA’s wastewater treatment plants, preventing larger volumes from escaping to nearby surface waters.

The incidents have been reported to the North Carolina Division of Water Quality.

CFPUA Environmental Management staff will be conducting surface water quality sampling in the areas of the SSOs.