Update 2024-04-15: Valdosta spilled 6.7 million gallons including 1.34 million gallons raw sewage 2024-04-12.

Update 2024-04-13: Clean before the storm, but sewage spills during 2024-04-11.

During the recent thunderstorms, Quitman had two sewage spills, presumably into Okapilco Creek, and Tifton had two spills into the New River, according to the GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report, all of unknown amounts.

According to a City of Valdosta press release, Valdosta had seven sewage spills during the storms, adding up to 434,850 gallons of raw sewage. Plus a small spill a few days before due to grease and rags.

Tifton, Quitman, and Valdosta thunderstorm sewage spills 2024-04-11

Georgia Updates, Newsbreak, April 12, 2024, Valdosta Residents Face Sewer Overflows After Major Rainfall Event, “Residents are advised to avoid contact with rivers, creeks, streams, or tributaries in Lowndes County due to potential exposure to untreated sewage.”

That sentence is not in the City of Valdosta press release from yesterday, although that PR is the source for the rest of that story.

Interestingly, no spills were reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Florida in FDEP’s Public Notices of Pollution.

Recent Valdosta Sewage Spills

Here is Valdosta’s 2024-04-11 spill report table, with an additional column for waterbody that I added, and a row for the April 9 grease and rags spill, followed by subtotal and total rows.

Update 2024-04-14 Also I inserted a date column and some reformatting.

What we do not see is any spills from the notorious collapsed sewer main between E. Park Ave. and US 84. Maybe the bypass is finally working correctly.

I commend Valdosta for including start and end times and precise locations, as well as for timely press releases. Next, if they can look in Valdosta Stormwater Division maps to determine which streams the spills end up in, that would be great.

Utility Central Lines Personnel Respond to Sanitary Sewer Overflow

On April 9th, 2024, at 6:30 p.m., Utility Central Lines Personnel were dispatched to address a Sanitary Sewer Overflow at 4051 Huntley Drive. Central Lines Personnel promptly initiated measures to remove the blockage and safeguard the Stormwater collection system. The overflow, attributed to grease and rags, was swiftly mitigated by the Central Lines crew using high-pressure jetting equipment. The incident ceased at 8:30 p.m. the same day, after approximately 5,000 gallons had been released into the Stormwater System. This system ultimately drains into a Detention Pond that discharges into the Withlacoochee River via Cherry Creek. All relevant agencies have been duly notified.

The City of Valdosta remains steadfast in its commitment to preventing Sanitary Sewer overflows. The Utilities department is currently engaged in modernizing aging infrastructure and implementing a range of programs and strategies to curtail and prevent such incidents within the city limits.

For further information regarding these programs or to learn how you can contribute, please contact the City of Valdosta Utilities Department, Environmental Division, at 229-259-3592.

Major Weather Event Causes Sanitary Sewer Overflows in Valdosta

On April 11th, 2024, the City of Valdosta experienced a major weather event. The Lowndes County Emergency Management Director Ashley Tye has indicated that significant rainfall occurred throughout Lowndes County.  For example, in Valdosta and Remerton, rainfall totals ranged from 6 ½ to 8 inches, leading to flooded neighborhoods and road closures, notably on Inner Perimeter. Locations south of U.S. Highway 84, including Dasher and Lake Park, received rainfall totals of 7 to 9 inches. The volume of the rainfall in such a short duration overwhelmed certain drainage infrastructure, causing distress throughout the region. 

Due to the excessive rain, the City’s Sanitary Sewer and Stormwater Collection Systems were mostly overwhelmed. The Sanitary Sewer system experienced hydraulic overload, resulting in multiple Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs) across the City. Hydraulic overload occurs when the flow rate of wastewater exceeds the sewer capacity, leading to backups or pressure relief through manholes, line breakage, or other events.  This overload was caused in part due to Infiltration/Inflow (I/I) where groundwater or other sources of water enter sanitary sewers and increasing/creating excess volume in the City’s Sanitary System.

City Utilities Divisions promptly responded to citizen calls regarding SSOs, documenting incidents and initiating sanitation efforts in affected areas. Citizens are urged to avoid contact with rivers, creeks, streams, or tributaries in Lowndes County due to potential exposure to untreated sewage.

As of today, the following SSOs have been logged by city staff:

 

Location	Start Time	End Time	Cause	Estimated Gallons
1402 N Lee St (1)	7:30 AM	12:00 PM	Infiltration and Inflow	40,500
1402 N Lee St (2)	7:30 AM	12:00 PM	Infiltration and Inflow	6,750
1402 N Lee St (3)	7:30 AM	12:00 PM	Infiltration and Inflow	67,500
1212 Wainwright Dr	11:00 AM	6:00 PM	Infiltration and Inflow	150,000
2509 Seymour	11:15 AM	3:00 PM	Infiltration and Inflow	900
1817 Gornto	10:00 AM	6:00 PM	Infiltration and Inflow	60,000
1825 Norman Dr	10:15 AM	3:00 PM	Infiltration and Inflow	1,200
213 Knob Hill	11:00 AM	6:00 PM	Infiltration and Inflow	108,000

All required regulatory authorities and other requested entities have been notified of this issue. The City is following all required testing and monitoring of the affected waterways and will continue to do so per Georgia Environmental Protection Division regulations. Results of Bacteriological testing for sites can be found on the city website under Water Quality Data.

The City of Valdosta remains committed to preventing Sanitary Sewer overflows, dedicating significant resources to updating aging infrastructure, managing programs, and developing new action plans. For more information on these initiatives or to contribute, please contact the City of Valdosta Utilities Department, Environmental Division, at 229-259-3592.

 -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: