WARSAW, N.C. (WITN) - The State Department of Environmental Quality says one million gallons of partially or untreated fecal wastewater per day is being released into Stewarts Creek.

It’s threatening waterways downstream like the Black and Cape Fear Rivers and risking algae blooms and wildlife.

Residents are voicing their concerns about health risks from the polluted water.

“The town needs to work harder so that the citizens are not getting sick from smelling the bacteria in the air or the streams being filled up with contaminated water,” Duplin County resident Mar Morrisey said.

The untreated wastewater is caused by industrial overload, according to DEQ. Warsaw residents and officials say it’s been an ongoing issue for decades.

Since 2000, DEQ has fined the wastewater plant in 19 cas

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