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Dirty job: Water quality specialist investigates human waste sprayfield in eastern North Carolina

Sound Rivers' Water Quality Specialist Taylor Register was in Goldsboro to check out a field used to dispose of human waste removed from portable toilets.
Sound Rivers
Sound Rivers' Water Quality Specialist Taylor Register was in Goldsboro to check out a field used to dispose of human waste removed from portable toilets.

A Sound Rivers Water Quality Specialist had a dirty job last week.

Taylor Register was in Goldsboro to check out a field used to dispose of human waste removed from portable toilets.

People living nearby said that every week or so, waste from a portable toilet company is being sprayed into the field, causing extreme odors and sometimes visible toilet paper remnants after the spraying is done.

Those neighbors were concerned about potential health but also concerned about impacts to the river.

The sprayfield is located next to Stoney Creek, a tributary of the Neuse River. Register collected water samples upstream and downstream of the area and they are being tested for the presence of E. coli.

North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s online records show the company is permitted to apply human waste to the land and have operated within the parameters of their permit, meaning the company has not been issued any violations for issues like ponding and runoff or spraying during rain events.

** Sound Rivers is a supporter of Public Radio East

Annette is originally a Midwest gal, born and raised in Michigan, but with career stops in many surrounding states, the Pacific Northwest, and various parts of the southeast. An award-winning journalist and mother of four, Annette moved to eastern North Carolina in 2019 to be closer to family – in particular, her two young grandchildren. It’s possible that a -27 day with a -68 windchill in Minnesota may have also played a role in that decision. In her spare time, Annette does a lot of kiddo cuddling, reading, and producing the coolest Halloween costumes anyone has ever seen. She has also worked as a diversity and inclusion facilitator serving school districts and large corporations. It’s the people that make this beautiful area special, and she wants to share those stories that touch the hearts of others. If you have a story idea to share, please reach out by email to westona@cravencc.edu.