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Across the U.S., municipal water systems and sewage treatment plants are at increasing risk of damage from floods and sea-level rise brought on in part or even wholly by climate change.
Burke County reported Wednesday that around 6,000 gallons of untreated wastewater has been discharged at the Indian Hills pump station.
The discharge happened due to heavy rain on Tuesday at the pump station, which is located at 2711 Indian Hills Circle, Hickory, according to a release from Burke County.
The discharge started around 10 p.m. on Tuesday and ended at around 12:30 a.m. on Wednesday. The untreated wastewater entered Drowning Creek, which is part of the Catawba River Basin, the release said.
Burke County said the North Carolina Division of Environmental Quality was notified of the discharge on Wednesday, and it is currently reviewing the spill. Burke County is working with NCDEQ to identify the cause and implement solutions to prevent it from happening again, the release said.
State law requires public notifications when untreated wastewater discharges of 1,000 gallons or more reach surface waters, the county said.
