FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 5, 2009
Battery Creek swimming advisory to go through weekend
COLUMBIA - The area in Beaufort County’s Battery Creek under a swimming advisory since Monday due to a large spill of untreated sewage from a clogged manhole will remain in effect through the weekend, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control reported today.
“The water quality in Battery Creek is improving, but there is still a need for a swimming advisory in this area,” said Russell Berry, director of DHEC’s Region 8 Environmental Quality Control office, which serves Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper counties. “The advisory continues for Battery Creek from Deer Island across to Cottage Farms north to the headwaters. Additional sampling will be conducted Monday.”
Berry said the original swimming advisory area announced Monday involved Battery Creek from the S.C. Highway 802 Bridge to the headwaters. The advisory area was reduced Thursday after samples taken from the areas no longer in the advisory area indicated the water quality was acceptable.
Berry said the advisory resulted from a large spill of raw sewage that occurred earlier this week near the Cross Creek Shopping Center in Beaufort. The Beaufort Jasper Water and Sewer Authority removed obstructions from the sewer line and removed spilled sewage from the manhole and areas leading to the creek and completed cleanup activities.
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NOTE TO EDITORS:
For more information on swimming advisories, go to DHEC’s Web site at:
http://www.scdhec.gov/environment/water/swim.htm.
For more information:
Adam Myrick - (803) 898-3884
E-mail - myrickar@dhec.sc.gov
MNR0306