New sewer spill, this one in Richland community

The collapse of a pipe has led to a sewer spill in the Richland Community of Oconee County. The sewer line break was discovered when a property owner notified the Joint Regional Sewer Authority of the pipe collapse and the resulting of severe erosion to the Coneross Creek bank. By Friday afternoon, an estimated 175,000 gallons of wastewater had spilled into the creek.. Tugaloo Pipeline, a contractor assisting with the repair, and OJRSA staff were at work installing a plug in the 27-inch diameter pipe to stop the flow of wastewater into the creek, which is occurring at approximately 600 gallons per minute. Once the plug is installed, a temporary pumping system will be used to divert the wastewater around the broken line until the permanent repair can be made and the creek bank can be stabilized with rock. The OJRSA has notified the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control of the incident and samples will be collected for analysis. Signs will be posted alerting those in the vicinity to avoid the area and will remain in place until SCDHEC approves the removal of the advisory. Until further notice, people and pets should avoid contact with Coneross Creek from the Norfolk Southern railroad bridge north of Richland Road to the South Carolina Highway 59 bridge. Because of above-average rainfall over the last year, Coneross Creek and its tributaries have experienced several floods, including one that exceeded the 100-year flood level.