Aging infrastructure in Lead contaminates nearby waters

LEAD, S.D. (KEVN) - Before the Clean Water Act was enacted in 1972 it was common for pipes to jut from houses dumping sewage into creeks. These water beds became a breeding ground for Escherichia coli (E. coli).

In the 2022 South Dakota Integrated Report for Surface Water Quality Assessment, E. coli was found in Whitewood Creek near Lead. The report says this “may be due to aging septic and sewer systems, the combined overflow in Lead, and wildlife and livestock.” In the 2022 survey, Whitewood Creek’s E. coli contamination received high priority over other South Dakota polluted waters.

In Lead the septic and stormwater systems share the same pipe, so E. coli has contaminated the water for decades. The city has separated the two systems since the infrastructure was transferred from the Homestake Gold Mine. The Mill Street project is the city’s latest effort to stop contamination.

“When you have the sewer and stormwater in the same pipe, anytime there’s a major [rain] event like we’ve been having in the last few weeks, it overwhelms the sewer system. It floods out, and we have manholes around town that actually there would be sewer being forced out onto the ground,” said Ron Everett, Mayor of Lead.

The Mill Street project is anticipated to be the last major construction project to separate sewage and stormwater systems.

We reached out to DANR for comment and the department has not responded.

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