McAlpine Creek got an unwelcome dose of sewage over the weekend, after roughly 1,550 gallons of untreated wastewater slipped into the waterway near Hunting Court and triggered a warning to nearby residents.
Charlotte Water crews traced the overflow to a familiar villain in the city’s sewer system: a greasy, wipe-filled clog in the collection lines. City staff urged neighbors to steer clear of the creek and to take disposal rules seriously to help keep future backups from bubbling up into local waterways.
What happened and what officials say
According to WSOC-TV, Charlotte Water crews were dispatched on March 14 to respond to the overflow near Hunting Court and worked to keep the release from moving farther into the Catawba River watershed.
Charlotte Water spokesperson Cam Coley told the station that “a majority of wastewater overflows can be prevented” if people keep non-sewage items out of their pipes. The utility pointed to some of the usual suspects behind blockages, including wipes, paper towels and cooking grease, which can all help trigger manhole or pipe overflows…