CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A no swimming advisory is still in effect for Paw Creek Cove on Lake Wylie after 847,000 gallons of raw sewage spilled into the lake over the weekend. Officials said it could remain in effect until Wednesday or Thursday.
RELATED: No swimming advisory issued for cove on Lake Wylie after 847,000 gallons untreated sewage discharged
“Of all days to have a birthday party,” said Donna Douglas, who lives along Paw Creek Cove.
Douglas said her family threw a party for her five-year-old grandchild on Saturday morning, the same morning the no swimming advisory was announced.
"The party started at 11 a.m.," Douglas said. "We had the lily pad thing you jumped on, the kayaks and the paddleboards.”
Douglas said about 8 kids and several adults splashed around in the water for over two hours before a neighbor told them about the spill.
“I wanted to throw up because we had little kids,” Douglas said.
Rusty Rozzelle with Charlotte Mecklenburg Stormwater Services said the culprit was a community sewer line damaged during a construction project.
"There's no treatment whatsoever that happened to this sewage, so it's whatever from the toilet is what runs into the creek,” Rozzelle said.
This is the third sewage spill into a local lake within the past month, but at 847,000 gallons Rozzelle said this is by far the biggest.
“The other two, the first no swimming advisory we issued was 400 gallons and then we issued another one for 200 gallons and that affected a very small cove on Lake Norman," Rozzelle said.
The two on Lake Norman were caused by contractors damaging pipes.
"With all the construction, with all the earth moving going on it's inevitable that there are going to be accidents," Rozzelle said.
Rozzelle said there isn’t a barrier or drainage system to prevent sewage from entering the water, so the only prevention is caution.
"You just need to know what's around you when you're digging,” Rozzelle said.
Douglas said a lot of her frustration comes because she never knew there was an issue.
"They could’ve told us, we would’ve canceled the party,” Douglas said.
Her neighbor Richard Boorn still didn’t know about the spill by Monday afternoon.
"No, I had not,” Boorn said.
Rozzelle said the CharMeck notification system did send out swimming advisory alerts and encourages more people to sign up for it.
“I’m just hoping nobody gets sick because they could," Douglas said.
Rozzelle urged people to take the no swimming precaution seriously.
“What we usually hear about or see are people that get eye infections or ear infections," Rozzelle said.
Rahzelle said people can get fined for sewer spills. The amount varies but it's typically in the thousands of dollars. In this case, Rozzelle said the spill was associated with Charlotte Water so any fine would come from the state.
Rozzelle stressed that the lake is still a safe place to enjoy, and only the affected area needs to be treated with caution. Officials say the advisory could remain in place through Thursday, with plans to re-test the water on Wednesday.
Wake Up Charlotte To Go is a daily news and weather podcast you can listen to so you can start your day with the team at Wake Up Charlotte.
SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts || Spotify || Stitcher || TuneIn || Google Podcasts
All of WCNC Charlotte's podcasts are free and available for both streaming and download. You can listen now on Android, iPhone, Amazon, and other internet-connected devices. Join us from North Carolina, South Carolina, or on the go anywhere.
RELATED: Another 'No Swimming Advisory' issued for part of Lake Norman after latest wastewater spill
Contact Lana Harris at lharris@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and on Instagram.