FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Mike McGill
(910) 332-6704
After Hours: (910) 622-8472
mike.mcgill@cfpua.org
communications@cfpua.org
This news release was issued on August 9, 2013, in compliance with North Carolina General Statute 143-251.1C (a portion of the Clean Water Act of 1999). For further information, contact Mike McGill, Chief Communications Officer for the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA) at the contact numbers and emails given above.
Wilmington, NC (August 9, 2013): Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA) crews responded to and stopped a sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) that occurred Thursday evening at approximately 8:18 p.m. along the 7800 block of Market Street near Marsh Oaks Drive. The SSO was caused when a private construction crew making roadway improvements hit an 8-inch pressurized PVC force main with its equipment. The cause for the incident is under investigation, including whether the main was properly marked by CFPUA prior to construction.
CFPUA crews responded quickly to stop the overflow by approximately 8:35 p.m. by pumping wastewater from a pump station upstream and hauling it to a nearby line. However, an estimated 4,094 gallons of wastewater reached a nearby, unnamed tributary of Pages Creek. CFPUA Environmental Management staff members have conducted water quality monitoring in the area and the incident has been reported to the North Carolina Division of Water Quality.
The damaged force main was repaired Thursday night by CFPUA crews and operations in the area have returned to normal.
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Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA) was formed by the City of Wilmington and New Hanover County to combine their water and sewer operations. It began operations on July 1, 2008. Today, the Authority serves more than 67,000 water customer accounts and more than 63,000 wastewater customer accounts. It oversees more than 1,000 miles of water distribution mains and nearly 1,000 miles of sewer mains. For more information, visit www.cfpua.org or contact CFPUA’s Communications staff at communications@cfpua.org.