Summerville officials are investigating a sewer line backup that caused a substance believed to be cooking-based oil to enter a creek near Lyerly Street on Tuesday afternoon.
According to the Summerville Police Department, officers and firefighters responded after receiving reports of a discolored substance in the creek.
Following consultations with other city departments, police learned that the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) had already notified the city about the material. Personnel from the Summerville Water and Sewer Department and Wastewater Treatment Plant responded to investigate the situation.
During their inspection, city crews discovered a sewer line backup at a trucking facility located on the former Georgia Rug Mill property.
Officials said a displaced manhole allowed some of the backed-up material to flow into the nearby creek.
City workers were able to remove a portion of the visible substance using vacuum equipment before transporting it to the city’s wastewater treatment plant for proper disposal.
According to police, representatives of the trucking company currently operating at the property identified the substance as a cooking-based oil.
As part of the investigation, city personnel collected water samples for laboratory testing and submission to the Georgia Environmental Protection Division.
Officials said the required regulatory reports will be submitted once the full assessment of the incident is completed.
The Summerville Police Department indicated that continued monitoring of the creek is not currently expected to be necessary.
Police also thanked residents for reporting the unusual material and helping city officials respond quickly to potential environmental hazards.
As of early Wednesday afternoon, the incident had not appeared on the Georgia Environmental Protection Division’s publicly available sewage spill log.
The investigation and water sample analysis will help officials determine the nature of the material and assess any potential environmental impact.