June 17.  By Dave Yochum. A no-swim advisory for a cove that lies between Meta Road and Natalie Road will be lifted today after 600 gallons of raw sewage spilled into the lake Wednesday. Charlotte Water confirmed the spill was due to a cable sub-contractor.

Typically any negative impacts to water quality dissipate within 24 hours, but that’s largely dependent on the size of the spill and the surface waters the spill entered, according to Rusty Rozzelle, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services’ Water Quality Program manager.

Rozzelle said “everything looks good” after testing results came back this morning. An accidental break in an unmarked low pressure wastewater pipe caused the overflow.

There have been five sewage spills into Cornelius waters so far this year, the most recent, at 600 gallons, being the second largest.

Rusty Rozzelle, Keepingwatch.org

Local officials say there is little they can do to make cable subcontractors working within the right of way be more careful while digging.

Background

There’s not an abundance of information on the dynamics of sewage spills and how they dissipate. The Government of Western Australia Dept. of Health says a number of factors will determine when a contaminated water body will return back to a safe condition:

—Salinity (the more salt the better)

—Sunlight (the more sun the better)

—Tidal movement

—Weather conditions

—Volume of the spill.

Source: https://www.healthywa.wa.gov.au/Articles/S_T/Sewage-spills

Reader input

Glen Hoffman writes: “I commented on one of the last spills that all contractors and subcontractors should be required to have equipment on site in case of emergency spillage. It received Facebook likes, but obviously not any action by the people in charge. This is stupid, and should not keep happening.”