Special to Iredell Free News

On Thursday, January 5, the Town of Mooresville had a discharge of approximately 36,000 gallons of untreated wastewater near 565 Brawley School Road.

This incident occurred during efforts to isolate a separate section of sewer damaged by a contractor, causing the flow of wastewater to be reversed, which led to a pipe failure.

Town crews were able to correct the situation and stop the discharge almost immediately. This failure was located in the median on Brawley School Road. The wastewater reached an unnamed tributary to Lake Norman.

Town staff is performing water quality testing to determine if there were any impacts to the stream, but initial evaluations indicate this was not of a magnitude to cause immediate danger to human health or to the environment. Emergency repairs are currently being scheduled and will be completed as soon as possible.

North Carolina General Statute 143-215.1C requires the owner or operator of any wastewater collection or treatment system reports when an untreated wastewater discharge of 1,000 gallons or more reaches surface waters. The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, Water Resources Division was notified of the spill and is reviewing the incident.