CFPUA Sanitary Sewer Overflow: Near River Road south of Shipyard Boulevard
Demolition work on an abandoned pump station struck sewer line connected to River Road Force Main
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Mike McGill
Office: (910) 332-6704
Cell: (910) 622-8472
mike.mcgill@cfpua.org
This news release was issued on February 19, 2016, 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 Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA), at the contact number and email given above.
Wilmington, NC (February 19, 2016): Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA) crews responded to a sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) Thursday resulting from a contractor striking a sewer line connected to the River Road Force Main. The incident occurred at 9:59 a.m. at a location near River Road south of Shipyard Boulevard. The contractor, hired by CFPUA, is conducting demolition work on an abandoned pump station in the area. During the demolition, falling debris hit the line’s connection to the force main, causing the overflow.
CFPUA crews immediately mobilized using the emergency action plan in place for this type of work. Four primary pumping stations were shut down to contain the amount of the overflow and multiple vacuum trucks were used to minimize the impact on the environment. CFPUA crews ended the overflow at approximately 1 p.m. and finished the main repair before nightfall Thursday. The overflow is estimated to have involved 27,000 gallons of untreated wastewater, which entered a storm drain catch basin inside the NC State Ports facility that serves as a tributary to the Cape Fear River.
NC Department of Water Quality representatives were immediately on scene and directed water testing both up and down stream. The results of those samples will be available late Friday afternoon. Because of the nature of the overflow – a relatively low amount entering a high-volume waterway – NC Department of Water Quality representatives are not requiring additional sampling today.
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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.