On Friday afternoon, July 14th, Charlotte Water contacted Chester Metropolitan District and many downstream water utilities to report that a 21-inch sewer line had separated and approximately 200,000 gallons of sewage spilled into Kings Branch.
Kings Branch is a tributary to Big Sugar Creek, which flows into the Catawba River downstream of the Lake Wylie dam. With the distance that the sewage has to flow, and the amount of the base flow in the Catawba River, natural mixing of the waters will dilute a majority of bacteria contained in the river.
Chester Metropolitan District has been monitoring the raw water quality in the Catawba River and has reported no change in normal water quality at its water filtration plant in Fort Lawn. Reports from the filtration plant indicate no change in pH or bacterial levels, and no indication that the spill is presenting a health risk to our customers. The drinking water being produced meets or exceeds USEPA Primary Drinking Water Standards.
Chester Metropolitan District will continue to closely monitor the water quality in the river and report any problems to our customers. Updates on the sewer spill will be available here on our website. Please check back for more information, or call our office at (803) 385-5123.