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Waynesville Creek Scare: E. coli Warning Quickly Retracted
4 Jul
Summary
- A false E. coli warning for Richland Creek was issued due to an overabundance of caution.
- Miscommunication between the town and the state triggered the unnecessary water advisory.
- Future waterway shutdown notices will now come from the Health Department, not DEQ.
Waynesville town leaders issued and then rapidly rescinded a warning concerning E. coli levels in Richland Creek. The alert, issued on Wednesday afternoon, was a result of an abundance of caution following a notification from the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality.
Initial water samples from Tuesday indicated unusually high E. coli contamination near the Waynesville Rec Park picnic shelter. This prompted the town, upon receiving an atypical email from DEQ, to issue a strong advisory urging residents to avoid swimming in the creek. However, within approximately 90 minutes, the state clarified that the waterway did not require closure.
Town Assistant Manager Jesse Fowler explained that the miscommunication arose because he usually receives calls from Haywood Waterways staff, not direct emails from DEQ. The town assumed the email necessitated immediate action. Fowler noted that a single-site contamination could stem from minor, non-widespread issues. It was clarified that the Health Department, rather than DEQ, will issue future notifications regarding waterway restrictions.
