When researchers completed a national study of hazardous forever chemicals recently, they found that a South Carolina river had higher levels of pollution from the toxins than any other waterway they examined across the country.
It was a troubling discovery that potentially threatens public health for those who eat fish from the Pocotaligo River in Sumter and Clarendon counties, as well as rivers downstream. It also raises concerns about the Pocotaligo River if it is ever sought as a source for drinking water.
The report, by the Waterkeeper Alliance environmental organization, says the prime suspect in the pollution is an aging wastewater treatment plant that serves the city of Sumter…