WILMINGTON – When looking at the numbers related to sewerage spills, the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority is touting its success when managing “number two.”
The authority on Wednesday released the five-year numbers on sewage overflows, touting what it describes as a dramatic reduction in the number of spills required to be reported to the state since the authority’s creation in 2008.
The authority was created by New Hanover County and the town of Wilmington to manage its water and sewer services.
In a press release, the authority compares the last five fiscal years, 2011-2016, with the five years prior to its creation, 2003-2008. From 2003-2008, 156 sanitary sewer overflows were reported. That resulted in 11.24 million gallons of wastewater entering the environment.
In comparison, from 2011 to 2016, the number of spills was 83 – a drop of almost 47 percent. The amount of wastewater entering the environment during this period was 2.49 million gallons, which was a decrease of almost 78 percent.
CFPUA Executive Director Jim Flechtner credited, among others, customers, for the reduction of spills.
“When you achieve success to this degree, a lot of people deserve credit, especially our ratepayers who fund investments in our system,” Jim Flechtner said.
He also credited the staff, specifically citing the work done to manage the system during the rains related to Hurricane Joaquin last year.
Cape Fear Public Utility Authority manages more than 1,000 miles of sewer mains, more than 140 pump stations, and two wastewater treatment plants. The entire sewer system collects and processes more than 6 billion gallons of wastewater every year.
