James Island Creek Quality Task Force tasked with cleaning waterway, including fecal waste

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCIV) — A team effort is underway to clean up the trouble lurking underneath the James Island Creek area.

Formed last year, The James Island Creek Quality Task Force is tasked with cleaning up the popular waterway in the next few years.

SCDHEC and the Environmental Protection Agency gave local leaders a five year mandate to fix problems, including uncomfortable levels of human waste in the water.

James Island resident Hollie Beckett was a bit troubled to learn about the potential hazard in one of her favorite spots.

Beckett says, "That's gross. That's really an unfortunate situation.”

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Beckett says several of her neighbors fish in the creek.

“It's a source of enjoyment of our local wildlife. And its food for a lot of neighbors in this neighborhood," she said.

Longtime environmental watchdog group, the Charleston Waterkeeper, keeps finding fecal bacteria during their testing.

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Andrew Wunderley of the Charleston Waterkeeper says, “This is 2021. Nobody should have to be swimming, fishing or crabbing in water that's contaminated with human bacteria and human sewage.”

Wunderley says septic tank use in the area is most likely to blame.

Another environmental watchdog group, the Coastal Conservation League, is confident the taskforce will make a difference and has seen some progress.

Charleston City Council-member Carol Jackson, who lives near the creek, says the group so far has two success stories: water quality testing with a shared cost among some of the members; and a watershed development plan.

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James Island's mayor, Bill Woosley, mentioned in a recent posting that next week the town council will attempt to tackle the issue of making septic tank use safer for the environment and aim to switch everyone in their district to updated sewer use.

Woosley says it's the government's responsibility to fix the problem, but is working with groups like Coastal Conservation League and Waterkeeper for solutions.

In Woosley's post he says local governments will help pay the tab for funding, but at least some of the money will come from the American Rescue Plan Act.

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