Sewage Spills in Short Creek Angers Ohio County Resident
WHEELING — Ohio County resident Andrew Vdovjak said he frequently deals with sewage spills near his Short Creek home, prompted by the same pump station on every occasion.
A spill reported Monday pushed an unknown amount of raw sewage into the nearby waterway. Kerry Marshall, manager of the Ohio County Public Service District, said the incident was reported to the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, and the cause of it will be fixed.
Vdovjak, though, said the public service district has previously addressed the matter, but has failed to offer a long-term solution.
“It’s happened forever, but this is probably the 10th or 15th time in the last three weeks,” he said. “Sometimes it does it when it rains, sometime it just does it.”
Vdovjak said he’s been patient with the county, but said he’s tired of dealing with it. Aside from the smell, which is particularly strong and unpleasant, spills leave raw sewage to dry on and near Vdovjak’s property, and they cover Short Creek Road.
Marshall said Monday’s incident was caused by a foam buildup in the storage tank. It inhibits a sensor that reads the tank’s volume, which then activates the station’s pump. Sewage is typically stored there before it is pumped to a similar facility on Betty Zane Road, and on to the treatment facility in South Wheeling.
Marshall said the public service district will install a drip system to dissolve the foam. He said this should solve the problem.
DEP inspector Chris Dudek confirmed the report of the spill. He said public service districts are required to notify the agency in such situations, although he said violations aren’t always issued unless reports pertain to a recurring matter. He said this is to promote transparency.
Marshall said there have been other spills associated with this pump station, but they were not due to the same issue related to excessive foam.
Dudek said when raw sewage leaks into a creek or stream, the water is treated with lime to disinfect it and the spill area is cleaned. He said the DEP is not typically responsible for notifying residents of spills, as this would likely fall to a local health department if deemed necessary.
Dudek said such spills are a common issue for public service districts.
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