Posted by Scott Saxton - email
WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, NC (WECT) - Boaters beware!
Dumping of sewage in to the waterways of New Hanover County is no longer tolerated. The county got word Monday that it is officially a "No Discharge Zone" according to the Environmental Protection Agency, one of the first areas of North Carolina to get this designation under the Clean Water Act.
The town of Wrightsville Beach started the process in 2008 by lobbying support from the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners. The state sent its approval and the federal government followed.
Wrightsville Beach leaders went after the NDZ designation after preliminary studies from UNCW showed boat-borne human bacteria signals and an increase in state-issued swimming advisories.
The U.S. Coast Guard and the state will have enforcement authority over the NDZ in New Hanover County.
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