Ashburn, GA, spilled at top of Little River Basin 2019-01-22

Another Georgia city at the top of the Alapaha River Basin seemed to have fixed its problems, yet it spilled again: Ashburn, in Turner County.

2015 through 2019-01-22, Spills
See also table.

The Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GA-EPD) used to know that this Ashburn Airport WPCP and its Hat Creek are in the Alapaha River Basin in the Suwannee River Basin: PUBLIC NOTICE NO. 2017–02 ML JANUARY 20, 2017,

I. NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR A NATIONAL POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM (NPDES) PERMIT TO DISCHARGE TREATED WASTEWATER INTO WATERS OF THE STATE OF GEORGIA

NPDES permits are valid for a maximum of five years. Prior to expiration of an existing permit, a new application must be submitted and evaluated.

An antidegradation analysis is conducted, as applicable, for new or expanded point source discharges that are proposed. The analysis evaluates whether allowing lower water quality is necessary to accommodate important economic or social development in the area in which the waters are located. In all cases, existing instream water uses and the level of water quality necessary to protect the existing use is maintained and protected.

All municipalities must be in compliance with the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Service Delivery Strategy in order to receive a permit.

Having reviewed such applications, the Environmental Protection Division (EPD) is considering the issuance of NPDES permits to the following applicants, subject to specific pollutant limitations and special conditions.

NPDES PERMIT REISSUANCE

TURNER COUNTY
City of Ashburn, P. O. Box 766, Ashburn, Georgia, 31714, NPDES Permit No. GA0025852, for the City of Ashburn Airport Water Pollution Control Plant located at 410 Rockhouse Road, Ashburn, Georgia 31714. Up to 1.16 MGD of treated wastewater is being discharged to the Hat Creek in the Suwanee River Basin.

Google Map, Map
Ashburn Airport WPCP on the Alapaha River Water Trail map.

Ashburn is quite high up in the Alapaha River Basin. It seems unlikely its sewage would ever reach the Alapaha River, much less the Suwannee River. Spills are still not good, though.

Ashburn to Alapaha River, Map
Context on the Alapaha River Water Trail map.

Table of Ashburn spills, 2015 through 2019-02-04

This most recent spill only showed up in GA-EPD’s Sewage Spill Reports today, two weeks after it occured. It’s almost three years since “Equipment failure” was last the “SPILL PRIMARY CAUSE”.

2015-01-01–2019-02-04–Ashburn-Spills-Rported-GA-EPD.html by WWALS Watershed Coalition; see https://wwals.net/issues/vww/ga-spills
BEGIN DATEFACILITY NAMECOUNTYCITYOVERFLOW LOCATIONQUANTITY GALLONSOVERFLOW TYPEPERMIT NUMBERSPILL SOURCESPILL PRIMARY CAUSERIVER BASINWATERWAY IMPACTED
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2019-01-22Ashburn, City of (Airport WPCP)TurnerAshburnAshburn WWTP5,000Raw SewageGA0025852Collection SystemEquipment failureUnknownHat Creek
2018-04-16Ashburn, City of (Airport WPCP)TurnerAshburnRockhouse Rd and Sylvia Dr.150,000Raw SewageGA0025852Collection SystemSuwannee
2018-01-30Ashburn, City of (Airport WPCP)TurnerAshburnInfluent Lift Station2,000Raw SewageCollection SystemDebrisHat Creek
2017-07-17Ashburn, City of (Airport WPCP)TurnerAshburnSylvia Dr. and Rockhouse Rd70,000Raw SewageGA0025852Collection SystemWet weatherSuwanneeHat Creek
2017-07-16Ashburn, City of (Airport WPCP)TurnerAshburnSylvia Dr. and Rockhouse Rd60,000Raw SewageGA0025852Collection SystemWet weatherSuwanneeHat Creek
2017-05-16Ashburn, City of (Airport WPCP)TurnerashburnMLK Lift Station300,000Raw SewageCollection SystemWet weatherSuwanneeashburn Branch
2017-02-02Ashburn, City of (Airport WPCP)TurnerAshburnSylvia Dr. and Rockhouse Rd.2,000Raw SewageCollection SystemRagsHat Creek
2017-01-27Ashburn, City of (Airport WPCP)TurnerAshburnSylvia Dr. and Rockhouse Rd.950,000Raw SewageCollection SystemWet weatherSuwanneeHat Creek
2017-01-27Ashburn, City of (Airport WPCP)TurnerAshburnSylvia Dr. and Rockhouse Rd.950,000Raw SewageCollection SystemWet weatherSuwanneeHat Creek
2017-01-21Ashburn, City of (Airport WPCP)TurnerAshburnSylvia Dr. and Rockhouse Rd.150,000Raw SewageCollection SystemWet weatherSuwanneeHat Creek
2016-12-08Ashburn, City of (Airport WPCP)TurnerAshburnSylvia Dr. and Rockhouse Rd.350,000Raw SewageCollection SystemWet weatherOcmulgeeHat Creek
2016-12-05Ashburn, City of (Airport WPCP)TurnerAshburnMLK Lift Station150,000Raw SewageCollection SystemAshburn Branch
2016-03-14Ashburn, City of (Airport WPCP)TurnerAshburnMLK LIft Station25,000Raw SewageCollection SystemEquipment failureSuwanneeAshburn Branch
2015-12-10Ashburn, City of (Airport WPCP)TurnerAshburn5,000Raw SewageCollection SystemRagsOcmulgeeAshburn Branch
2015-04-15Ashburn, City of (Airport WPCP)TurnerAshburnRockhouse Rd. and Sylvia Dr.5,000Raw SewageCollection SystemWet weatherSuwanneeHat Creek
2015-02-26Ashburn, City of (Airport WPCP)TurnerAshburnRockhouse Rd. and Syvia Dr.70,000Raw SewageCollection SystemWet weatherSuwanneeHat Creek
2015-01-23Ashburn, City of (Airport WPCP)TurnerAshburnRockhouse Road and Sylvia Dr.90,000Raw SewageCollection SystemWet weatherSuwanneeHat Creek

For much more context, see wwals.net/issues/vww/.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!