Whitewater Center Discharge Approved

CHARLOTTE, NC– “This water is going to be monitored and tested thoroughly,” said Rusty Rozzelle with Mecklenburg County Water Quality.

After weeks of sitting in the lower pool at the Whitewater Center, Mecklenburg County health officials say the cleaning and discharge plan of amoeba infested water is set into place.

First they will Hydrochlorinate the six to seven million gallons to kill any organism then dechlorinate.
Health officials say the amoeba is actually in the sediment not the water.

“The sediment will be disposed of separately it will not be drained into the river the sediment will be taken off and dumped out in a land area,” said Dr Marcus Plescia, Director of Mecklenburg Co Health Department.

Then the sun will kill any organisms left.
Catawba River keeper Sam Perkins says if executed and monitored appropriately they approved the plan but did have some standards set out.

” It’s very important to make sure you have enough dissolved oxygen in the water for any aquatic life it’s also important to make sure you don’t have too much Chlorine getting into the water because this is a natural waterway,” said Perkins.

The Whitewater Center discharges the water through the pipes then it will cross hundreds of yards of vegetation before entering Long creek, then the Catawba River. Not everyone approves of the plan.

“My preference would be for York County to take a stand and just say we don’t endorse that we don’t endorse dumping of anything into our water source,” said York County Councilwoman Elect, Allison Love.

Officials say instruments monitor levels throughout the entire process and alert them if anything goes wrong, and people who swim in or get water from the River or lake should not be concerned.

“By the time this water goes down to any consumers further down stream it will be have been treated twice,” said Rozzelle.