Update 2024-08-09: Clean Alapaha, Withlacoochee, Santa Fe, and Ichetucknee Rivers 2024-08-08.

This Valdosta press release came in at 12:58 PM, while my power was down.

Running off a generator, I got the previous posts out about the Quitman spills https://wwals.net/?p=65559 and the Valdosta Knob Hill spill. https://wwals.net/?p=65562

This Valdosta PR lists that 300 Knob Hill Drive [aka Road] spill as 8,000 gallons.

The 1020 Wainwright Drive spill with 7,000 gallons is just across the drainage ditch from Knob Hill Road, very near Three Mile Branch, which runs into the Withlacoochee River at the bottom of Langdale Park.

All four sites are at sites of previous spills.

All are also less than 10,000 gallons, so not major spills, which means GA-EPD does not require any followup water quality testing.

The 817 Gornto Rd spill with 6,000 gallons is uphill from Two Mile Branch, which runs into Sugar Creek.

The 1212 Wainwright Dr spill with 9,000 gallons is next to One Mile Branch, which also runs into Sugar Creek, which runs into the Withlacoochee River.

I don’t why the Valdosta press release does not mention any of those creeks nor the Withlacoochee River.

I commend Valdosta for including specific street addresses, and for getting this press release out in a timely manner. Maybe tomorrow these spills will show up in the GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report, like the Quitman spills already did.

I agree with the City of Valdosta about this, at least for the above-named creeks and nearby stretches of the Withlacoochee River: “Citizens are urged to avoid contact with rivers, creeks, streams, or tributaries.”

Valdosta PR: 4 minor sewage spills 2024-08-06: Infiltration & Inflow, Hurricane Debby
The spill sites are among the yellow diamonds on this WWALS map of the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT).
The Wainwright Drive manhole spill site is highlighted towards the bottom.
The 817 Gornto Rd spill site is near the center.
300 Knob Hill Drive is towards the top.

Tropical Storm Debby Results in Minor Spills

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRESS RELEASE
DATE: Tuesday, August 6, 2024
CONTACT: Sharah’ Denton, Community Relations & Marketing Manager
Telephone: (229) 259-3548
sdenton@valdostacity.com

Tropical Storm Debby Results in Minor Spills

On August 6, 2024, the City of Valdosta, South Georgia and North Florida experienced Tropical Storm Debby, a Class 1 Hurricane system. During this weather event the City saw rainfall from 3-6” in various areas. 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 a few 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.

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

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.

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.

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 -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/

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