CHARLOTTE -- Sewage spills are happening more frequently in Mecklenburg County. In 2007, the amount of wastewater overflowing the sewage system increased by 85 percent, according to the latest wastewater performance report.

Every day in Mecklenburg County, 86 million gallons of wastewater go from our faucets, tubs and toilets to wastewater treatment plants, but some sewage is lost in that process.

"We had about 50 more sewage spills this year than the previous year which came to about 421 spills,” explained Cam Coley, spokesman for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities.

Overall, that’s an 85 percent increase in the amount of sewage that spilled and flowed into local creeks and streams.

Utility crews cleaned 950 miles of sewer lines this past year. That’s nearly a quarter of the entire network, but Coley says carelessness is the major culprit.

"Over half of the spills are because of grease where people poured grease down the drain. It clogged the drain or pipe just like an artery and eventually the sewage has to go out one way or another,” Coley added.

It's also a taxpayer concern. The Utilities department was fined by the EPA for the number and quantity of its sewage spills.

"We did pay a fine for past sewage spills, but it's not what like other utilities are dealing with which is they're getting fines and required to do certain projects immediately,” Coley explained.

That’s because there are already plans to spend nearly $500 million over the next eight years to expand and improve the entire wastewater system. That’s because a lot of money is needed to meet the growing demands and put a lid on these spills.

Seventy percent of the 1.64 million gallons of sewage that spilled came from just two incidents. That amount represents less than 1 percent of all wastewater treated in Mecklenburg County.

If you suspect a sewage spill, call 311.