112,000 gallons of wastewater spill into Charlotte’s Sugar Creek

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Over 100,000 gallons of wastewater spilled into Sugar Creek on Sunday, according to Charlotte Water.

The spill was the result of a pipe failure at the Sugar Creek Wastewater Treatment, which is located at 5301 Closeburn Road near Park Road Park. 

Plant employees managed to stop the spill within three minutes but not before 112,000 gallons of wastewater reached the adjacent creek, which is part of the Catawba River Watershed, according g to officials.

Over the last few months, Charlotte Water has notified the public of a handful of wastewater spills, typically not greater than 10,000 gallons when it occurs at a private home or business. As was seen with similar spillage from other wastewater or water facilities in the last few months, spillage of several hundred thousand gallons occurs at facilities of this type.

While the exact nature of this pipe failure was not disclosed, the city of Charlotte asks everyone to follow these safety tips to prevent future issues:

·  Toss in the trash: paper towels, wipes, hair, cotton swabs, feminine products, dental floss, coffee grounds, and excess food.

·  Toss in the toilet: only toilet paper.

·  Kitchen sink: soap suds, small amounts of foods from plate, and liquids (no fats, oils, or grease).

·  Take to a full-service recycling center: used and expired oils and grease.

Reports of suspected sewage spills can be made by phone by calling 311 or 704-336-7600. Charlotte Water maintains 4,562 miles of wastewater pipe.

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