- Cary crews responded Tuesday afternoon to a 25,972-gallon sewer spill in the area of Morrisville Square Way caused by creek bed erosion, sewer pipe exposure, and failure.
- Crews immediately installed a temporary bypass of the affected pipe segments to stop the spill.
- Clean-up is currently underway, and repairs to the pipe are being planned.
Cary, NC – A sewer spill in Morrisville occurred the afternoon of December 9, 2025, behind Morrisville Square Way. Town staff responded to the alert that came in at 2:37 p.m. and stopped the spill with bypass pumping at 5:28 p.m. The overall spill volume was 25,972 gallons, which entered Crabtree Creek. No fish kill was observed.
The spill was caused by creek bed erosion, exposure of a sewer pipe, and subsequent failure. Crews responded immediately to install a temporary bypass of the affected pipe segment, stopping the spill. A temporary dam was installed downstream on Crabtree Creek to pump the water back into the sewer system for disposal and treatment.
NC General Statute 143-215.1C requires the owner or operator of any wastewater collection treatment works to issue a news release within 24 hours of when an untreated wastewater discharge of 1,000 gallons or more reaches surface water. Additionally, notification has been made to the North Carolina Division of Water Resources, which will review the incident. Paid advertisements are also necessary for spills of 15,000 gallons or greater.
For more on Cary’s 990-plus miles of wastewater pipelines, ways to reduce sewer spills, or information on how to report a sewer spill, visit our Sewer Maintenance page, or contact Cary 311.
Primary Contacts
If you have specific questions, visit carync.gov/311, dial 311 anywhere in Cary, (919) 469-4000 outside Town limits, or email 311@carync.gov.
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