HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) —

More than 12,000 gallons of untreated wastewater overflowed from a manhole at 305 Blythe St. Thursday morning and entered Wash Creek in the French Broad River Basin, Hendersonville officials announced on Friday.

“I have a crew onsite this morning videoing and recleaning the line,” Hendersonville Water and Sewer Collection System Supervisor Tim Sexton said Friday. “The area was cleaned up and the creek looked good last night. I will recheck the area this morning to make sure we didn’t miss anything. There should not be anything to worry about.”

The City of Hendersonville notified the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality about the event Friday morning and the agency is expected to review the matter.

“DWR expects more information in the city’s follow-up five-day report. In connection with this spill, DWR will initially review both reports, may request additional information, as needed, and then will determine the next regulatory response, as appropriate,” NCDEQ’s Division of Water Resources Public Information Officer Laura Oleniacz said via email Friday afternoon.

Generally, excessive nutrients, like nitrogen or phosphorus, from treated or untreated wastewater spills can help stimulate algae growth, deplete dissolved oxygen in the water that supports fish and other organisms and can contribute harmful bacteria or pathogens, Oleniacz said.

“Depending on concentration in the receiving stream, a spill could also cause vegetation to die off or kill fish. According to DWR staff, city officials did not find a fish kill in their stream evaluation,” she said.

According to a statement forwarded by Hendersonville officials:

“The sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) was due to a partial main line blockage caused by wipes, grease, rags and other items that should not be flushed. We remind the public to only flush the 3 P’s (pee, poo and (toilet) paper). Items like wipes, feminine products, or diapers should never be flushed down the toilet. Even ‘flushable’ wipes are not truly flushable because they get clogged before they can break down.”

Visit https://www.hendersonvillenc.gov/fogprogram for more information.