GASTON COUNTY, N.C. (WCNC) - The Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation announced it discovered a leaking pipe at Allen Steam Station on Lake Wylie.
The leak was located at an abandoned pipe, which was art of a retired coal ash basin at Allen Steam Station.
Catawba Riverkeeper's Sam Perkins said the leak was found during a court-sanctioned inspection.
"It's the potential for corrosion and a blowout akin to what we saw in the disaster three years ago at Dan River with a lot more people downstream drinking the water," Perkins said.
Duke Energy said in a statement that groundwater likely seeped into the pipe, and the amount of water leaking was akin to a coffee cup per minute.
The company took a sample of the water and found it met state surface water standards.
However, there was elevated levels of boron, an indication of possible coal ash contamination.
Duke Energy said it plugged up the pipe, but Perkins said it doesn't address his concerns.
"That leaves a lot of mystery and a lot of concern for such a significant pipe," he said.
The foundation wants coal ash basins at the steam station to be moved away from all bodies of water.