1,000 fish killed after sewage from company spills into Charlotte creek, officials say
About 1,000 fish were killed when sewage from an energy company spilled into the Derita branch of Little Sugar Creek northeast of uptown Charlotte on Wednesday, according to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services.
An estimated 230,000 gallons of sewage spilled at Orbit Energy Charlotte LLC in the 600 block of Johnson Road, off North Graham Street, the storm water services department reported in a news release.
Company basins caught most of the wastewater, but “an undetermined quantity overflowed the basin and entered Derita Branch and Little Sugar Creek,” the news release reported.
Fish died in the Derita branch and part of Little Sugar Creek downstream of the spill, officials said. Catfish, minnows and other fish were killed, Rusty Rozzelle, manager of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services’ Water Quality Program, told The Charlotte Observer.
Orbit Energy officials did not return a phone message from The Observer Wednesday night.
Orbit Energy experienced a similarly large spill about three years ago and a small discharge two weeks ago, Rozelle said.
The company produces electricity by liquefying food waste, turning it into methane and burning it, Rozzelle said.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services will make sure the company restores areas affected by the spill and puts measures in place to prevent future such spills, according to the release.
The company would face a financial penalty if it failed to restore the waterways and add preventive measures to its operations, Rozzelle told The Observer.
This story was originally published September 1, 2021 at 7:12 PM.