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 the main pump station serving the Swan Point WWTP in Newburg.
According to the Department of Utilities, the pump station problem was a result of a failure in a circuit board controlling the station’s pumps, which resulted in the overflow. The overflow entered into a tributary to Matthews Cove near the Swan
Point golf course. Initial investigation by the Department’s staff indicates that, based on station records, the volume of raw sewage discharge may be as high as 90,000 gallons.
The Department of Utilities staff discovered the overflow to the station at approximately 2 p.m. on January 23, and immediately called for a sewer pump truck to be dispatched to the location and by 4:45 p.m. the overflow was stopped.
The Department of Utilities indicated that no homes were affected, and the pumpstation has been repaired and is again pumping correctly. An advisory will be posted in the affected area to alert the public to temporarily avoid contact with the tributary. 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