In accordance with the guidelines established by the Maryland Department of the Environment, the Charles County Department of Utilities and the Charles County Health Department report that an accidental sewage overflow occurred at a manhole adjacent to Wakefield Lake on St. Thomas Drive near the intersection with St. Charles Parkway in Waldorf.
According to the Department of Utilities, an accumulation of grease blocked the sewer line, resulting in an overflow at the manhole. The overflow discharged raw sewage in excess of 10,000 gallons into Wakefield Lake which, in turn, flows to an
un-named tributary of Jorden Swamp. The exact amount of the overflow is not immediately known and will require further investigation.
The Department of Utilities responded to a telephone call from a resident at 10:45 a.m. on January 12, 2010, about the overflow, which was cleared just after noon.
“No homes were affected, and the line has been cleared and is again flowing freely,” said the Utilities Department.
An advisory has been posted in the affected area of Wakefield Lake and the adjacent stream to alert the public to temporarily avoid contact with the lake and the stream channel. The advisory will be in effect until otherwise notified by the Charles County Health Department.
The Department of Utilities will be sampling the affected waters both upstream and downstream of the overflow for the next few days.
For more information, please call the Department of Utilities at (301) 609-7400, or the Health Department at (301) 609-6759.