Summerville Police said Tuesday afternoon that city police and fire personnel were notified of a discolored material in the creek near Lyerly Street.

After consulting with other city departments, officials learned that the Georgia Environmental Protection Division had reported the material to the city earlier in the day, prompting personnel from Summerville’s Water and Sewer Department and Wastewater Treatment Plant to respond.

During the inspection, city crews identified a sewer line backup at a trucking facility on the former Georgia Rug Mill property. According to the city, a displaced manhole allowed some of the backed-up material to enter the creek.

City crews were able to vacuum up a quantity of the visible material from the creek and dispose of it at the city’s wastewater treatment plant.

The trucking company told city officials that the substance was a cooking-based oil. City workers collected water samples for laboratory analysis and also sent samples to EPD.

Summerville Police said once the assessment of the incident and the material is complete, required regulatory reports will be submitted. At this time, ongoing monitoring is not expected to be necessary.

City officials thanked residents for reporting potential hazards and said the quick notification allowed crews to respond and address the situation.