Charleston Waterkeeper to petition DHEC to help clean up contaminated creek - Live 5 News WCSC

Charleston Waterkeeper to petition DHEC to help clean up contaminated creek

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Charleston Waterkeeper says they will petition the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control to help clean up a North Charleston creek that, they say, is contaminated with fecal bacteria.

Executive Director Andrew Wunderley said Filbin Creek, accessed at Ralph Hendricks Park off Virginia Avenue, has sometimes tested around 230 times the South Carolina limit for safe recreational use.

“Filbin Creek has had problems for years – everything from flooding to high levels of bacteria,” Wunderley said. “It’s been heavily altered over time, and so what we see this as is an inflection point, where we can stand up as a community, everybody can work together, and we can put this creek on a path to being healthier and cleaner for the future.”

Specifically, the Waterkeeper tests for a type of bacteria called Enterococcus. Wunderley said the bacteria is usually found in the feces of warm-blooded animals, such as humans, dogs and cats.

The Waterkeeper has tested at the creek weekly for the past two-and-a-half years. It has only met the state standards once, during the week of June 9, 2021, according to the Waterkeeper’s data.

Wunderley said they will send a petition to DHEC to classify the creek as “impaired” following the conclusion of their testing season, which wraps up in late October. If approved, he said it would trigger South Carolina and federal laws that require state and local authorities to plan cleanup efforts.

Residents and visitors to Ralph Hendricks Park said they use the creek to launch small vessels as well as to fish and crab off the boardwalk. Wunderley warns swimming or fishing in contaminated water could make people sick.

Wunderley said they plan to present their findings to DHEC as part of their petition.

A DHEC spokesperson said they do not generally comment on these types of petitions and do not have anything to provide at this time. North Charleston has not yet replied to requests for comment.

Wunderley hopes the creek is given the highest priority for cleanup and would like to see that happen within the next year.

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