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HARRISBURG, NC – “The way it happened, it shouldn’t have happened in the first place,” says Harrisburg, NC resident Jeremy Gardner.
Neighbors living near affected areas of Mallard Creek say they’re frustrated by what’s happened.
“We don’t have time for illegal dumping, especially in Charlotte, the city,” Gardner says.
Saturday, we saw several CMUD crews working along side the creek.
They’re testing the water for levels of trichlorobenzene and polychlorinated biphenyls or PCB’s.
Crews discovered the toxic chemical in the Mallard Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant Thursday.
City officials believe the PCB’s were originally dumped illegally into a sewer drain behind a Food Lion on West Sugar Creek Road.
Saturday, we learned almost 1700 gallons of partially treated wastewater got into the creek after it leaked from a foundation drain at the plant.
Officials are warning people – and their pets – to stay away from the water in Mallard Creek.
But they say the water in home faucets is still safe to drink and bathe in.
Neighbors are still being cautious.
“We went out and bought drinking water. We have kids and stuff like that, and every time we have to use faucet and stuff like that, we’re testing the water, as far as smelling it,” says Harrisburg, NC resident Travis Bonaparte.
Bonaparte says it caught many of his neighbors off guard.
“This is not what we’re used to, so it’s new for a lot of people around here,” he says.
