When an auto accident happens unexpectedly, anyone can become a victim. One moment you're commuting back home after a long day at the office. The next, your car is totaled, and you're injured in the hospital due to another person's negligence. It's not fair, but it happens every day. Unlike the irresponsible party who caused the accident, personal injury victims often suffer the most in auto accidents. They have to worry about lost days at work, the long road to recovery, and the inability to provide for their family. Sadly, many people injured in car accidents don't have the luxury of worrying about bills because they're fighting for life in the emergency room.
And while modern cars come equipped with safety features like blind spot monitoring and cross-traffic alerts, motor vehicle accidents are still a huge problem in South Carolina. According to the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, in 2020, one person was injured every 11 minutes in a car collision. Even worse, one fatal collision was recorded every 9.1 hours.
Unfortunately, victims of auto accident negligence often don't know what to do when another driver hits them. They have questions like:
These same innocent people provide official statements to insurance agencies without knowing the consequences.
However, if you or your loved ones are victims in a car crash, there's good news. Laws in South Carolina mandate that guilty parties must compensate for pain and suffering. But in order to get the compensation you deserve, it's crucial to work with a personal injury attorney in Bluffton, SC. Experienced personal injury lawyers know how to bolster your case by securing witnesses for questioning, obtaining accident scene information, and documenting vehicle damage. If these tasks aren't completed quickly, you are far less likely to receive the compensation you and your family deserve.
Theos Law Firm exists to fight for your rights and to ensure negligent drivers are held responsible for the damage they do to your family. It's really that simple. We aren't afraid to trade blows with selfish insurance agencies. Because, unlike Theos Law Firm, they couldn't care less about your best interests.
Here are just a few reasons why so many hardworking people choose Theos Law Firm:
When you're involved in a car or truck accident, it can be a life-changing event. Having represented hundreds of personal injury victims, we understand that you may be confused and frightened. You know you need to speak with a lawyer, but you need a calm, cool presence to ease your anxiety. You need someone who understands what you're enduring, and we know how you feel. Unlike other auto accident attorneys, we believe that personal injury claims are more about the people involved and less about money and settlements. When you reach out to Theos Law Firm, you can rest easy knowing our team will treat you with dignity, compassion, and empathy.
With many years of combined personal injury experience, there's nothing that our team hasn't seen in terms of auto accidents. With that said, we understand that there is no "common" type of accident or scenario - no two accidents are the same. We have represented clients involved in DUI accidents, truck rollovers, reckless drivers, interstate pileups, rear-end collisions, and even Uber driver crashes. With such extensive experience, our team has the tools and talent to take care of you, regardless of how complicated your case might be.
The recovery process involved with automobile accidents changes with every person we represent. There are dozens of details to account for, from car repairs to insurance questions and everything in between. These small but necessary details aren't easy to accomplish for injured parties. That's why our team goes the extra mile to help cut through the red tape to ensure your medical bills are paid, and your car gets fixed. The less weight you have on your shoulders to worry about, the faster you can focus on recovering.
Unlike other personal injury law firms, our team is 100% committed to protecting your rights, and we're uniquely positioned to do so with decades of combined experience. We offer robust representation for many types of auto accidents, including:
If you have been the victim of an accident listed above, please understand that time is of the essence. There is limited time to seek compensation for your injuries, hospital bills, lost wages, and more. As such, there is only a short time to obtain experienced representation for your personal injury case.
Our team knows that finding the right attorney to represent you is an important choice. Therefore, we believe that an initial consultation is imperative to understand your needs and identify your goals fully. When we sit down with you to learn the nuances of your accident, we'll cover all aspects of South Carolina law pertaining to your case. That way, you're armed with information and have an idea of the next steps our firm will take to represent you.
Remember - the sooner we can dig into the details of your case, the sooner we can pursue your rightful compensation. As seasoned personal injury attorneys, our team specializes in several types of automobile accidents:
Car accidents are a serious problem in South Carolina. If you're an adult, you probably know someone involved in a bad car crash in our state. When you look at the stats, it seems like car accidents are always on the rise. One person was killed every 8.2 hours in a car collision. Even more sobering is that one teen driver is involved in a fatal or injury-causing collision every 1.6 hours. The unfortunate truth is that many people involved in car crashes were hurt due to the other driver's negligence.
Common car crash injuries in South Carolina include:
Car accident victims in South Carolina are often left to pay their medical bills but can't do so because they're too hurt to go to work or take their car in for repair. These life-changing scenarios can snowball into a series of scary events, leaving victims hopeless and unsure where to turn.
Fortunately, a car accident attorney in Bluffton, SC can help you avoid these pitfalls and obtain the money you need to survive. At Theos Law Firm, our team has a deep understanding of the rules that dictate fault in South Carolina. We know that thorough representation is needed to receive maximum compensation, and we're well-prepared to achieve that goal for you.
Our car accident lawyers in South Carolina can recover compensation for injuries and damages:
The moments following the crash are often a blur when you're involved in a car accident. However, per South Carolina law, those on the scene must adhere to legal responsibilities and obligations.
First, try to stop your car and ensure it is positioned safely near the scene of the crash. Then, call 911 to report the accident. While most folks go into full-blown panic mode, you need to stay calm so you can process the situation. If you notice that there are injured people, give them "reasonable assistance." Per South Carolina Code of Laws, that could include transporting hurt people to a hospital or calling an ambulance for them.
If you're in a car crash, you need to be prepared to exchange contact information with other drivers at the accident scene. If the person who caused the collision is present, make sure to get their name, phone number, address, and insurance info. If witnesses are present, get their contact info, too, in case our team needs to obtain their account later.
Next, try to piece together how the car crash happened. This is an appropriate time to take photos of the cars, wreckage, and debris. Ask yourself if you think a vehicle failed to follow the rules of the road, like speeding or failing to stop at a stop sign.
Regardless of how minor your injuries may appear and who may be to blame for the accident, get legal advice from Theos Law Firm first before giving any recorded statements or refusing medical care.
Tractor-trailer and semi-truck crashes are often more complicated than two car crashing. Because these cases are more complex and nuanced, it's imperative that you contact a truck accident attorney in Bluffton, SC to help you through the recovery process and win the compensation you deserve.
After a semi-truck crash, you must take steps quickly to preserve evidence so that the crash may be recreated. In serious semi-truck accidents where people are injured or killed, trucking companies usually send a team of investigators to the accident site immediately. These investigators will do their best to obtain evidence that can hurt you in court or even attempt to hide or destroy evidence. The last thing a trucking company wants is for you to win a settlement against them.
That's especially true since various entities may be liable for your truck accident injury, not just the driver. The trucking company, the trucking manufacturer, and the team responsible for truck maintenance could also be responsible. Additionally, if dangerous or inadequate road conditions factor into your accident, you could actually sue some government departments. For those reasons, it's critical to retain quality representation ASAP after a truck accident in South Carolina.
At Theos Law Firm, our team has experience winning compensation in many types of truck accidents, such as:
As your truck accident lawyer in South Carolina, we work hard to fight for your rights and win your case. In order to do so, our team will:
We'll arrive on-scene to notate skid mark length and the locations of vehicles involved. We will also capture detailed pictures and measurements pertinent to your crash.
Obtaining the trucking company's records and discovering the info they have on the semi-truck driver involved is an important part of our process. We will also secure access to the trucker's driving log notes, which they must maintain according to law.
Like airplanes and helicopters, big rigs have a "black box" that records real-time truck data, like speeds, changes in direction, and brake application.
We'll arrive on-scene to notate skid mark length and the locations of vehicles involved. We will also capture detailed pictures and measurements pertinent to your crash.
Sometimes an expert is needed to digest all the evidence and provide an expert opinion on the cause of the semi-truck collision. When needed, our team will hire such an expert to ensure your case is robust and air-tight.
We will obtain the police's investigation report and any accident photos, measurements, or other documentation taken by officers while investigating your semi-truck crash.
It's imperative to find all the witnesses of your accident and interview them to get recorded statements in a timely manner. Doing otherwise may result in faded memories and inaccurate facts.
Time and again, auto accident victims agree to early settlements provided by insurance companies because the offer seems like a lot. But what if you return to work after recovering from an accident, only for your pain to return?
With adjusters, lawyers, and investigators at their disposal, insurance agencies will do everything in their power to minimize the compensation you deserve. Don't let them pick on you or silence your voice. If you or a loved are victims of a negligent car or truck accident in South Carolina, contact Theos Law Firm today. We have the team, tools, and experience to fight back on your behalf, no matter how complicated your case may seem.
To schedule an appointment for your free consultation, contact Theos Law Firm in Bluffton today.
Old Town Bluffton’s new raw bar is set to fully open for both lunch and dinner this week.CRUDO has been serving guests for dinner since March 11, its soft launch, but will usher in its full opening this week with the addition of a lunch service. The raw bar can be found filling about half the space that was once the Corks Wine Bar in the Old Town B...
Old Town Bluffton’s new raw bar is set to fully open for both lunch and dinner this week.
CRUDO has been serving guests for dinner since March 11, its soft launch, but will usher in its full opening this week with the addition of a lunch service. The raw bar can be found filling about half the space that was once the Corks Wine Bar in the Old Town Bluffton promenade.
The address is 14 Promenade St., suite 306, Bluffton. The Promenade makes for a great location because of all the established restaurants nearby, CRUDO owner Brian Behnke said.
“With the established restaurants already here, we think we complement them well,” he said. “They’re all, you know, really good neighbors, and we’re really excited to be here.”
“Crudo” is the Italian and Spanish word for “raw,” and refers to a dish of uncooked fish, shellfish or meat, seasoned with olive oil, citrus juice or vinaigrette.
The menu features daily crudos, ceviches and other raw seafood dishes like oysters, caviar, salads, a few non-seafood plates and some Vietnamese dishes sprinkled in. All of CRUDO’s fish will be purchased from local market, Behnke said.
To pair with their dishes, CRUDO offers an assortment of wines, spirits and cocktails. Behnke, as a trained sommelier, will continue to curate CRUDO’s wine selection and is looking forward to recommending new ones to his guests.
Behind the bar is the Le Verre de Vin wine preservation system, which can preserve opened bottles for over 20 days. That way CRUDO can offer more wine by the glass, Behnke said.
A program called the Cru Club, which gives access to advanced reservation capacity, advanced sign up for special events, a reduced corkage fee and the ability to purchase the wine by the case for 15% over cost. Events will happen every other Wednesday, Behnke said.
They’re open 5-9 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays and closed on Tuesdays. On Sundays they serve a four-course family supper.
Dine-in and carry-out are available, according to the restaurant’s website.
CRUDO has a dress code, but it’s not extensive, only asking men not to wear hats or tank tops and for all guests to avoid athletic wear.
“While we’re upscale, we’re not formal and stiff,” said Behnke “It’s not like a formal dining experience where you get to sit here for three hours.”
Rainy and cold weather is preventing Bluffton’s U Pick Daffodil farm from opening as it usually does this time of year.Visiting the farm has become a spring rite for families, flower-lovers and photographers alike, and co-owners Chuck and Diane Merrick had planned to be open for sweethearts on Valentine’s Day. Unfortunately, that’s just not possible, Chuck Merrick said Monday.“We are a little bit short on flowers because of the rain and the cold,” he said.The muddy field conditions and parki...
Rainy and cold weather is preventing Bluffton’s U Pick Daffodil farm from opening as it usually does this time of year.
Visiting the farm has become a spring rite for families, flower-lovers and photographers alike, and co-owners Chuck and Diane Merrick had planned to be open for sweethearts on Valentine’s Day. Unfortunately, that’s just not possible, Chuck Merrick said Monday.
“We are a little bit short on flowers because of the rain and the cold,” he said.
The muddy field conditions and parking area — not to mention the farm’s location on a dirt road — make it dangerous for customers.
“I don’t want someone slipping and falling down and getting hurt,” Chuck Merrick said by phone as he walked the fields.
“I’m out here trying to decide what would be best to do,” he said.
The family is now hoping to be able to open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, weather and blooms permitting. Closing early is a possibility if the blooms are picked out earlier, and there’s also a chance the farm won’t be able to open at all that day.
The weather forecast says Beaufort County will be sunny and cool on Saturday, with a high temperature in the mid-50s, according to the National Weather Service in Charleston. There is a chance of more rain between now and then.
For information about days the farm will be open, watch its Facebook page or go to its website at upickdaffodils.com. Those who’d like to check on the status of the flowers before making a longer commute can also text Chuck Merrick at 843-368-1998.
The fields are located at 48 Calhoun Plantation Road, just off Pinckney Colony Road.
Each stem is 50 cents. Cash and card payments will be accepted.
The U Pick Daffodil tradition started more than 50 years ago. Each year the farm has expanded to meet demand, and this year is no different.
Chuck Merrick uses a planting machine purchased from Holland — it is pulled behind a tractor — to plant tens of thousands of daffodil bulbs with varying blooming times so the farm can stay open longer.
Daffodils don’t grow easily in the Lowcountry climate, he previously told The Island Packet, and every year the farm loses about half of the ones they had planted in earlier years.
This year, he planted 36,000 new bulbs, and those haven’t bloomed yet because of the cold temperatures.
Does this mean the season that typically ends in March will be longer?
“It’s really hard to say,” Chuck Merrick said. “We are at the mercy of the weather and the flowers.”
This story was originally published February 13, 2023, 12:50 PM.
BLUFFTON — In the early 1990s, this place really was a small town.About 750 people lived here, clustered around a 1 square mile downtown.Today it has a population of 32,000 and extends for 54 square miles, a good deal of it dedicated to the planned community of Palmetto Bluff.While some longtime locals have moved away — frustrated by traffic, cut-down trees, more parking — a surprising number of residents say Bluffton is managing to hang on to the qualities that drew so many people to it in the first pl...
BLUFFTON — In the early 1990s, this place really was a small town.
About 750 people lived here, clustered around a 1 square mile downtown.
Today it has a population of 32,000 and extends for 54 square miles, a good deal of it dedicated to the planned community of Palmetto Bluff.
While some longtime locals have moved away — frustrated by traffic, cut-down trees, more parking — a surprising number of residents say Bluffton is managing to hang on to the qualities that drew so many people to it in the first place.
“It’s a beautiful area,” said Evan Blatter, 20, who grew up playing beneath the live oaks with the other neighborhood kids.
Now he mans the visitors center, an 1841 farmhouse within walking distance to a farmers market, two parks, and dozens of foodie-friendly restaurants and one-of-a-kind shops. In a very Bluffton touch, one enters the visitors center by the back door, like an old friend.
“I find no fault with the growth because it gives children who’ve grown up here a chance to stay here,” said Babbie Guscio, whose high-end variety shop called The Store is part of what lends Bluffton its charm.
While the town is “spiffier” than it used to be, said Guscio, “We are still funky and fabulous.”
Bluffton can pinpoint the moment it changed from a tiny town between Savannah and Charleston to an urban center with a pull of its own.
“We were all snug as a bug until Sun City announced they were coming,” Guscio said.
That was in 1993, when a real estate developer bought a tree farm about 12 miles northwest of Bluffton. Two years later, Del Webb Communities Inc. opened a 55-and-over residential resort spread across 5,100 acres.
“So the Town Council at that time said, ‘It’s coming,’” said Debbie Szpanka, Bluffton’s public information officer.
In her telling, officials asked themselves: Do we want to control our destiny? Or do we want to be submissive and just take whatever’s coming?
“They’re like, ‘We want to control it,’” Szpanka said.
Since the only way to expand the town’s boundaries was for landowners with contiguous property to ask for annexation, the mayor communicated that Bluffton was open for business. The petitions rolled in.
In that way, for the next two decades the municipality of Bluffton steadily grew.
Then, in 2015, it exploded.
As it happened, 2015 was about the time that Rebecca Mancini began visiting from Ohio, stumbling on Bluffton as an out-of-the-way place to vacation with girlfriends.
But soon, finding somewhere to stay got a little trickier, Mancini said. “I thought, ‘Wow, people are finding this little spot.’”
In 2020 Mancini herself relocated to Bluffton, part of a wave of newcomers that increased the population by 12,000 people in five years. She rented a cottage a stone’s throw from the local coffee shop and turned it into a girls-and-women’s clothing store called Maggie and Me, named after her daughter.
“I meet new people every week that just got here, just moved here, building a house here, from every part of the country you can imagine,” Mancini said. She keeps thinking, “How’s there room for everybody? How is there any space left?”
One answer to Mancini’s question can be found in the sheaths of maps in Szpanka’s office, showing what is already built in Bluffton and what development Town Council has agreed to, perhaps some years ago.
“We know what’s coming,” Szpanka said. “We know exactly what’s on paper that’s been approved.”
The intricate drawings indicate that three-quarters of residences are currently standing, but only about one-third of commercial buildings are in place.
In other words, Bluffton’s housing will soon stabilize, even as the town continues to add businesses.
“Now that we’re getting toward the cap of what our population is, we’re starting to work on making sure that we have services and economic development, everything for all of our citizens,” said Stephen Steese, the town manager, who comes to work in faded jeans and a baseball cap.
Despite the pressure to deliver, Steese leaned against Szpanka’s doorway as if he had all the time in the world to chat.
Outside, rain streaked down the windows, and town hall felt quiet and cozy as a library.
Noticing the impression they were creating, Szpanka observed, “It takes a lot of work to make us look this laid back.”
That casualness is part of what makes Bluffton feel small, said Margaret Thomas, who moved five years ago to Old Town, the 1-square-mile historic district that still feels like the center of the community.
On Oct. 13, Thomas and her half-chihuahua, half-Dachshund chiweenie were rolling down the road in a golf cart, a package of fresh fish in the seat between them.
Except for their vehicle, the pair could have been locals from any point in the past 200 years, buying seafood at the docks on the May River and stopping on Calhoun Street to visit with neighbors.
It’s that part, the running into folks, that makes Bluffton feel small to Mancini. “There’s a nice little web of people,” she said.
“I think it’s because it doesn’t look cookie-cutter,” Guscio said.
Even a new Greek-columned building at the corner of Calhoun Street aims to fit with Bluffton’s classic Southern architecture while projecting an eclectic, boutique-y vibe.
The building’s owner, Matt Cunningham, plans to put tenants in the luxury apartments on the second floor and women- and Black-owned small businesses on the street level.
“All these things are either artist’s retail, art-oriented or culinary arts, so think about it like an artsy-fartsy town kind of scenario,” he said.
The development, called The Bridge, has drawn criticism for appearing too tall, too massive, too close to the street.
But Cunningham sees himself simply as helping shape the direction of his adopted home. Echoing the words of many transplants, he said, “I fell in love with it.”
He pointed out that historic Bluffton feels like a small town in part because it is literally small.
“People can live, golf-cart, eat and work here now because a lot of people are remote,” he said. “It’s charming, but it’s also got a lot of things to offer, and you can get as close as possible to those things.”
The steady flow of cars between Bluffton and Hilton Head Island, about 7 miles down U.S. Highway 278, speaks to the increasing convergence of the two areas, with some familiar institutions shifting off island.
In 2018 the 50-year-old Red Piano fine art gallery quit its isolated storefront outside Sea Pines for Old Town Bluffton, where it’s part of an ecosystem of galleries.
Sam’s Club is out in Bluffton now, along with Hilton Head Christian Academy. The private K-12 school, founded in 1979, settled into a new campus in a former field of pine trees on Buckwalter Parkway in 2021. With more and more young families coming to Bluffton, setting up among the warren of suburban houses looked like a smart move.
“Because of the growth, because of so much going on and changing and happening, I think people want to be a part of that,” said Steese. He credits some of the decampment from Hilton Head to the excitement around Bluffton.
Lauren Arsenault Terrett, a painter who moved from the island to Bluffton in 2004, said, “It’s not that I don’t like Hilton Head, but it’s very tourist-oriented.”
“It’s a different cultural feel,” agreed Cunningham, another former Hilton Head resident. “It’s just a little bit more down-to-earth in Bluffton.”
Historically real estate has been cheaper on the mainland, too, but housing costs are rising.
Mancini is still waiting for them to come down to her price point. While she bides her time, she admires the “darling apartments” going up around the downtown area.
“Nothing looks out of place,” she said. “It’s done small and quaint and lovely.”
Honoring its history is one of the most important reasons why Bluffton feels the way it does, Szpanka said. “That’s what gives you an identity and a sense of place.”
In the 1800s, White plantation owners from nearby places like Savannah and Hilton Head made their summer homes on Bluffton.
“They came here because we’re about three blocks off the May River. It’s a saltwater river. So that means no mosquitoes and there’s a constant northeast breeze,” Blatter said. Behind the Heyward House where he welcomes visitors, several 1841 slave cabins stand, restored and on display thanks to the efforts of a preservation society.
“The town has made an effort ... to make sure that we’re preserving all aspects of our history,” Szpanka said.
But for all the praise for Bluffton’s old-fashioned vibe, said Councilman Fred Hamilton, a born-and-bred Blufftoner, newcomers can also yearn for more modern amenities, such as a Costco.
“They don’t understand this country way of living,” he said.
Hamilton, whose voice is warm and slow, said he finds himself educating a new generation about Bluffton.
Quality of life is not convenience, he said, but clean water that you can get shellfish from, lots of open space to raise young kids, a place where you know your neighbors and feel like you can thrive.
“To lose that would be devastating,” he said. “But to preserve that will be a place where anybody would love to call home.”
The long-awaited Aldi grocery store opens in Bluffton at 9 a.m. Thursday.The store is located at 1131 Fording Island Road in the shopping center with Hobby Lobby and PGA Superstore. Hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.Here’s what you need to know before you go:The first 100 customers will receive a reusable gift bag filled with a sampling of “Aldi Fan Favorites” products and a gift card as part of the Aldi Golden Ticket gift card giveaway p...
The long-awaited Aldi grocery store opens in Bluffton at 9 a.m. Thursday.
The store is located at 1131 Fording Island Road in the shopping center with Hobby Lobby and PGA Superstore. Hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
Here’s what you need to know before you go:
The first 100 customers will receive a reusable gift bag filled with a sampling of “Aldi Fan Favorites” products and a gift card as part of the Aldi Golden Ticket gift card giveaway program, according to a news release.
You’ll need the coin to unlock a shopping cart. The quarter will be given back to you when the cart is returned at the end of your shopping trip. Aldi says this practice saves it money because it doesn’t have to use employee time to corral loose carts.
Or, you can buy reusable ones at the store. Aldi doesn’t offer single-use plastic bags, another way it says it saves money. Boxes generally are available to cart home your items.
A store employee will scan the items in your cart, but you’ll be on your own to bag them up. This is another way Aldi says it keeps prices lower.
The store will be stocked mostly with Aldi-exclusive brands, including gluten-free, plant-based and dairy alternative items. This doesn’t mean they are lesser quality. You’ll have to try them to see whether they stack up to the brands you are used to.
Aldi does not accept national manufacturers’ coupons or have a store loyalty card for discounts as other grocery stores do.
Aldi’s “no frills” locations aren’t as large as modern superstores. The Bluffton location has around 12,000-square-feet of sales floor. For many, this makes the shopping experience quicker and more efficient. Some items will be stacked on pallets.
Staples such as flour, sugar, milk, canned goods and bread likely will be less expensive than at other grocery stores. Bring a list of what you typically pay for certain items so you can see whether it’s a bargain at Aldi or not. (Some online lists caution that paper goods and cereal may be better purchased elsewhere with a coupon. Produce also gets mixed reviews.)
Aldi is known for its good selection of cheese, European chocolates and inexpensive wine. You can expect the Germany-based company also to stock European-based beers and snacks.
If for any reason you aren’t satisfied with the quality of a product, Aldi will replace the product and refund it under its “twice as nice” guarantee.
An estimated 45,000 gallons of wastewater were released from a gravity main Saturday in Bluffton, according to a Beaufort-Jasper Water and Sewer Authority news release Monday evening, but the spill did not impact the water system in the area and water coming into homes is safe to use and drink.The cause? A structural failure of the main at the manhole located in The Farm neighborhood.Dirt got into the failed section, and the weight of the dir...
An estimated 45,000 gallons of wastewater were released from a gravity main Saturday in Bluffton, according to a Beaufort-Jasper Water and Sewer Authority news release Monday evening, but the spill did not impact the water system in the area and water coming into homes is safe to use and drink.
The cause? A structural failure of the main at the manhole located in The Farm neighborhood.
Dirt got into the failed section, and the weight of the dirt, as well as the actual sediment, led to a blockage precipitating the overflow of thousands of gallons of wastewater. The sewage flowed into the ponds of adjacent neighborhoods, the authority said, which was diluted by the deluge of rain Saturday night and Sunday.
BJWSA notified the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control of the break, which the authority said did not impact the water system in the area.
Wastewater overflows of more than 5,000 gallons of untreated or partially treated domestic sewage “could cause” a serious adverse impact on the environment or public health, according to SCDHEC’s website.
About a year ago, a spill over 10 times that size happened in Beaufort. Then, in late January 2022, an estimated 500,000 gallons of sewage spilled from a sewer main into a tidal ditch that leads to Battery Creek in Beaufort. The spill occurred near the intersection of Parris Island Gateway and the Savannah Highway and prompted an immediate closure of shellfish harvest beds.
However, the Saturday wastewater overflow in The Farm neighborhood has not caused those types of impacts.
Pam Flasch, BJWSA director of public affairs, said Tuesday morning that the wastewater break has “absolutely no relation” to the authority’s water system, meaning water flowing in homes is safe to use and drink.
Because of the somewhat fortuitous weekend rainfall, the sheer volume of rain diluted what could’ve affected the ponds. Flasch said the break’s impact couldn’t have reached the May River.
While the Saturday overflow in The Farm neighborhood has been stopped and crews are continuing cleanup, Flasch said the biggest issue remains a traffic detour to avoid the break for safety reasons. The detour will remain in place until repairs are finished.
Because the manhole couldn’t be saved, the area is served with a bypass pump to ensure service isn’t disrupted, the BJWSA said. The authority expects repairs will take “several weeks.”
According to BJWSA, it continues to communicate with residents at The Farm and the Homeowners Association on the repair schedule and potential impacts.
The authority delivers about 10 million gallons of wastewater each day to eight wastewater treatment facilities for treatment and disposal. For any suspected or seen sewer collection system spills, call BJWSA at 843-987-9200.
This story was originally published February 14, 2023, 1:05 PM.