DINWIDDIE COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) – When Judy Marks has her grandkids over, they typically spend hours in Stony Creek.
“They like to fish and they go in there and get the crawdads,” said Marks. But this summer was different because of health issues in the water.
On October 2, health officials gave a new warning for Dinwiddie County residents to avoid all contact with the water.
“We don’t want anyone to get sick,” said Tim Jones, Environmental Health Manager for Crater Health District.
The creek advisory came after continued sampling since the first of august.
“What we’ve noticed is that the E.coli and fecal coliform levels seem to be elevated,” Jones said.
Higher E.coli levels typically occur during prolonged periods of wet weather or heavy rains.
E. coli bacteria can pose a serious potential threat to public health.
“Some people might get diarrhea from it, some people might not get sick at all, but we want people to take caution.
This is not the first time in recent memory there has been trouble in Stony Creek. In July, diluted corn syrup overflowed into the creek after a farmer used the product to feed his hogs.
Then in August it was revealed that fecal coliform had contaminated the water after weeks of a strong smell and discoloration in the creek.
“The odor for a while was bad at the start of the summer,” recalled Marks.
The extended advisory will now keep Marks’ grandkids and others out of Stony Creek.
“It makes it more difficult,” Marks said. “They go in the Nottoway River now.”
Officials say is difficult to pinpoint exact locations of contamination, as high level areas may change with potential flooding.
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