For the last year, Ellis Creek has been rated as unsafe for swimming near the Folly Road bridge. Just recently, it again received the same negative report.
Ellis Creek and James Island Creek are the same waterway. It is rated as safe for swimming at the Buxton Bridge where it crosses Harborview Road.
The Town will receive a more detailed report from DHEC on the area of impairment. We will begin working to address the problem with Charleston County and likely with the City of Charleston. To start, there will be much closer monitoring to better understand the extent of the problem.
The expense of this extra monitoring is the key reason for the increase in the Town's storm water fee. It was $34 and now it is $48 for a single family residence. Businesses and other institutions pay based on the amount of impervious surface on their property--generally much more.
The Town has an intergovernmental agreement with Charleston County to participate in their storm water program. Many of the smaller Towns and Cities in the County work with Charleston County. As a condition of the program, all of the storm water money goes to the County. If they have more money than they need, a portion of the money is returned to the Town for storm water projects.
Addressing non-point source pollution is the key responsibility of the storm water program. The City of Charleston has its own storm water program.
Ellis Creek and its associated marsh is under City of Charleston jurisdiction. Most of the neighborhoods just to the south of the problem area are in the Town. That includes Centerville and Bayfront. To the north of Ellis Creeks is a large commercial district in the City of Charleston--Lowes and the surrounding area. Further up the creek to the north west of the bridge is the Central Park community which is in unincorporated Charleston County.
The key problem is Enterococcus, which is a microbe closely associated with human waste. It seems likely that the source of the problem is sewer leaks, failed septic systems, or both. However, we will know more with the added monitoring.
Both the state and federal governments require that municipal governments address this issue. We will do so.
