Following an investigation that was not disclosed, the South Carolina Environmental Law Project has called for the state’s health agency to require regular inspections of storage tanks in order to protect drinking water.
Residents could be exposed to water that causes illness if the state does not make this change, according to the petition filed by the law firm on behalf of concerned residents.
The state Department of Health and Environmental Control would have to require public systems to inspect the inside of water tanks each year and report their findings. SCELP recommended that tanks be cleaned within six month of any contamination being found.
Ben Cunningham, an attorney who filed this petition, stated that we shouldn’t have to rely upon the good graces and ability of a water system for checking its own tank.
The Sumter Item and The Post and Courier carried out an October investigation and discovered that a Summerton water tank was not being cleaned in many years. The tank was filled with sludge that grew several inches in diameter, which eventually fed to a nearby housing development, turning the tank’s white interior black and brown.
Residents who lived in the complex said that discolored water flowed out of faucets, giving shower curtains a brown tint. White clothes become beige after being washed. The tank hadn’t been cleaned in at most 12 years, according to the new water operator for the town. The inside was cleaned out in August.
The Post and Courier are collaborating with community outlets throughout the state to investigate suspicious conduct.
SCELP in its petition said that Summerton’s issue revealed a gap in South Carolina’s existing rules. It also mentioned laws in other states that require inspection of tanks. The petition stated that the review was both necessary and economically justified. It also suggested other changes to drinking water rules to address issues in communities, such as Darlington County and Denmark.
Currently, DHEC as well as the federal government recommend that water utilities inspect inside their tanks. DHEC recommends that they be cleaned and examined every three to five year, in line with the recommendations of the top trade group in water industry. According to a spokesperson, the agency does not use water quality tests for identifying health risks.
DHEC is required to act within 30 days of receiving the petition. A spokesperson for DHEC stated in an email that they look forward to reviewing the petition and responding to it.
Reach Stephen HobbsCall 843-998-0005. Follow him @bystephenhobbs.
