Tuesday afternoon Summerville’s Police and Fire Departments were made aware of a discolored material in the creek near Lyerly Street. Upon consulting with other City Departments, it was determined that earlier in the day that the Environmental Protection Division (EPD) had reported this material to the City and that personnel from Summerville’s Water & Sewer Department and Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) responded to evaluate the situation.
During their evaluation City crews inspected the area and identified a sewer line backup at a trucking facility on the former Georgia Rug Mill site. A displaced manhole allowed some of the backup to enter the creek. City crews were able to vacuum a quantity of the visible material from the creek and safely disposed of it at our WWTP.
The trucking company indicated the substance was a cooking-based oil, City workers took water samples for both lab analysis and to send to the EPD. Once the full assessment of the event and materials are complete the required regulatory reports will be submitted, however ongoing monitoring is not currently expected to be necessary.
We appreciate the community’s patience in this matter, as well as your diligence in reporting potential hazards so we can address them quickly and keep our waterways clean and safe.
—
Chief Brian Ozment
Summerville Police Department
