Thousands of gallons of sewer overflow near Seneca

Signs have been posted near Seneca to alert the public to avoid an area of a sewer overflow. Those signs will remain until South Carolina DHEC has approved a cleanup. The Oconee Joint Regional Sewer Authority announces that a small section of concrete broke on Saturday near the intersection of 123 and Davis Creek Road. Until the notice is rescinded, people and pets near Beacon Ridge Drive should avoid contact with the water. The debris fell to the bottom of a manhole and blocked the outlet pipe. That caused the spill of about 15,600 gallons of wastewater. A small amount of the wastewater reached an unnamed tributary to Lake Hartwell before the repair was completed later in the day. The JRSA made this statement: “While the exact cause of the breakdown is unknown at this time, it’s believed to have been caused by elevated levels of hydrogen sulfide exposure in the system over the last 30 years. Low levels of hydrogen sulfide gas is common in sewer systems but can become raised due to long retention times in pump stations located upstream.” According to the JRSA, DHEC has been notified and samples have been collected for analysis.