Reward offered to catch Claremont sewer dumper | News

CLAREMONT, NC (WBTV)- You wouldn't think that dumping raw sewage into a sewer system would be a problem, but in the City of Claremont it's a big problem these days.

"Not all sewage is the same," said City Manager Doug Barrick. Someone, he says, has dumped thousands of gallons of septic tank sewage into local manholes since February. Septic tank waste is different from normal waste that enters the city's sewage system, say officials, because in most cases it has been underground and in a tank for years.

"It is more potent and has more biological components to it," said Barrick. That makes the septic waste much harder to treat and when mixed with city sewer waste it can throw off the waste treatment process. It takes more additives and more time to properly treat the waste and that can cost the city money. "Unfortunately, in some instances, the recovery time puts us in non-compliance with the state of North Carolina."  That could mean fines.

Police have put the word out to everyone in town to be on the lookout for anyone who may be dumping something in a city manhole. A $250 reward has been offered to anyone who comes forward with information leading to the person, or persons, responsible for the dumping.

"It's crazy," said Mary Watts at the Claremont Café Tuesday afternoon. "It's just not right that someone would dump that stuff here."

Officials speculate that the dumper is someone with a septic tank pumping company. Those businesses are registered with the state and have to pay fees to dump the waste they've collected from septic tanks.  Many municipal wastewater treatment facilities can handle that waste. The city of Claremont's system, though, cannot.

Anyone with information is urged to call the Claremont Police Department. That number is 828-459-9295.

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