Thomasville officials sought to put some worries about this summer’s large wastewater spill to rest Monday at the city council meeting.

City Manager Kelly Craver said that the city has retained the services of consulting engineers to evaluate the sewer collection system, environmental consultants to recreate the most likely scenario for the spill, and a law firm to investigate the actions of its employees.

Council later passed amendments to the city budget in response to the estimated 15.93-gallon spill into North Hamby Creek, which flows into Abbott’s Creek and then High Rock Lake. It will transfer $17,500 from the General Fund Contingency to pay for contracted legal services, and $35,000 from the Water/Sewer Contingency to cover the recent fine by the N.C. Division of Water Quality. The county also will transfer $89,000 from the Water/Sewer Contingency for maintenance and construction engineering, for a total of $141,500.

Craver also cited results of independent tests for fecal coliform bateria, for which the regulatory limit is 400 counts per 100 milliliters of water. On Aug. 11, Abbott’s Creek at Interstate 85 had 110 counts per 100 milliliters, and at Highway 47 had 220 counts per 100 milliliters. These levels were lower than those reported on July 14, before the reported sewage could have entered the water. On Sept. 15, the numbers were 142 counts and 230 counts, respectively.

An additional seven samples were taken at sites at High Rock Lake, under the direction of the Division of Water Quality.

“All those samples were under the regulatory limits of 400 counts per 100,” Craver said. “The highest count in any of those samples was 9 counts.”

City Attorney Paul Mitchell addressed the public directly about the spill. He said he lives near Denton, on the Yadkin River near High Rock Lake, and he has a vested interest in making sure that water is clean. He showed a series of photographs illustrating his family’s history in the area, beginning with one taken 100 years ago and ending with a photo taken this summer.

“We ought to conduct ourselves as city, as riverkeepers and as public-spirited people, so that 100 years from now, we can still play and live in the Yadkin River,” Mitchell said. “What it gives us, more than recreation, is our very lifeblood.”

Mitchell said that while High Rock Lake is “sick” and needs to be fixed up, the fecal coliform bacteria levels are well within the normal range and do not appear to have worsened much from the spill.

Staff Writer Karissa Minn can be reached at 888-3576 or newsdesk@tvilletimes.com.