Tifton Spills, Little River, New River 2021-02-18

Update 2021-02-26: Nothing obvious attributable to the Tifton spills in downstream water quality monitoring, and Very clean Thursday, Withlacoochee River 2021-02-25.

Tifton, we have a problem. Tifton, do you read?

Two days after Tifton’s three sewage spills Tuesday last week, Tifton spilled five times more the following Thursday, February 18, 2021. Two of the new locations were the same or across the street from ones two days before. North Ridge Street and Agrirama Lake have been chronic spill sites for years.

Tifton, can you clean up your act, please? Tifton, do you read?

[Tifton spills and locations 2021-02-18]
Tifton spills and locations 2021-02-18

Once again (magenta circle) from the Agrirama above the Little River, and four times in the New River Basin:

  • again at 414 E. 16th Street,
  • on North Ridge Avenue across from the last one (red for new, yellow for the last one), next to Park Avenue Creek,
  • south past the end of N Ridge Ave. at 325 W. 16th Street, next to the New River,
  • and over to the east at 1434 Sutton Circle, also next to the New River.

[Tifton spill locations 2021-02-18]
Tifton spill locations 2021-02-18 in the WWALS map of the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT).

As previously noted, Tifton has spilled several times before on N Ridge Ave., and Agrirama Lake is a chronic spill site.

Here’s the list that showed up in the GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report, this Tuesday, February 23, three working days and five calendar days later.

[Five Tifton spills 2021-02-18]
Five Tifton spills 2021-02-18

And in table form for ease of searching.

Tifton, City of (New River WPCP)2021-02-18TiftTifton1392 Whiddon Mill Rd.16,560Raw SewageGA0048470Collection SystemWet weatherSuwanneeAgrirama Lake
Tifton, City of (New River WPCP)2021-02-18TiftTifton2407 N. Ridge Ave16,920Raw SewageGA0048470Collection SystemWet weatherSuwanneeUnnamed tributary to New River
Tifton, City of (New River WPCP)2021-02-18TiftTifton1434 Sutton Circle7,200Raw SewageGA0048470Collection SystemWet weatherSuwanneeUnnamed tributary to New River
Tifton, City of (New River WPCP)2021-02-18TiftTifton325 W. 16th St.1,000Raw SewageGA0048470Collection SystemWet weatherSuwanneeUnnamed tributary to New River
Tifton, City of (New River WPCP)2021-02-18TiftTifton414 E. 18th St.3,800Raw SewageGA0048470Collection SystemWet weatherSuwanneeUnnamed tributary to New River

Once again we’ll probably find nothing in downstream water quality monitoring, on the Little River or on the Withlacoochee River below the New River, that can be linked to these Tifton spills, because nobody is testing near Tifton.

We could use some volunteers to do that. You can sign up here to get trained:
https://wwals.net/2018/11/16/sign-up-for-water-quality-testing-training/

It would be good to know if, for instance, any of this Tifton sewage is reaching Reed Bingham State Park Lake.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

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