Update 2024-02-23: Ribbon cutting for Water Quality Testing Lab at Valdosta Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant 2024-03-05.

A major spill takes 10,000 gallons, so Tifton spilled less than that at 7,000 gallons, making it a minor spill.

Tifton Golden Road 7,000-gallon sewage spill into Little River 2024-02-12

According to the February 19, 2024, GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report, this Tifton spill happened February 12, due to power failure.

Tifton, like Ashburn, may want to invest in some backup generators.

The location given by GA-EPD is 803 E. Golden Road, into “Gum Creek”.

803 Golden Road, Tifton, Spill of 2024-02-12 in GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report 2024-02-19

That address is just west of the Golden Road Lift Station that has been the location of previous spills, including:

• 2017-09-11 250,000 gallons,
• 2020-11-03 2,000 gallons,
• 2022-09-04 2,000 gallons.

The excuse each time was power failure or equipment failure.

803 Golden Road spill in WLRWT

The nearby waterway in those previous reports was called Cow House Creek (also known as Cow House Branch) or “unnamed tributary to Little River.”

As we previously remarked, “USGS has no name for the creek that crosses Golden Road. However, there’s a nearby subdivision called Cove at Willow Creek, so we’re calling it Willow Creek.”

803 Golden Road to Little River in WLRWT

Whatever its name, that creek runs into the Little River downstream of the Alabama Avenue bridge.

803 Golden Road to the Withlacoochee River
in the WWALS map of the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT)

The spill location is about 10 creek miles upstream from the Little River, and the creek enters the Little River about 70 miles upstream of the Withlacoochee River, so that’s about 80 waterway miles for that little amount of sewage to travel to reach Troupville Boat Ramp.

Or only about 27 waterway miles to reach Reed Bingham State Park at Red Roberts Landing.

Either way, it was probably too little sewage to produce any noticeable amount of E. coli in the Little River.

But Tifton would still do well to invest in a backup generator.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can help with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable, water in the 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin in Florida and Georgia by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations/

Short Link: