Update 2025-01-10: Filthy Sugar Creek, OK Withlacoochee River, Clean Alapaha River 2025-01-09.
Update 2025-01-08: Sewer line break, Sugar Creek 2025-01-07.
Congratulations to the City of Valdosta and Utilities Director Jason Barnes for finding the Sugar Creek sewer leak.
He told me this afternoon that a bypass pump is already in place will be in place soon.
Finding it became easier after WWALS water quality testing narrowed the potential location within 2,000 feet.
The press release does not say exactly where the leak is, but according to descriptions (between the railroad trestle and Gornto Road and in the creek), I think it is probably the pipe pictured.
Valdosta has found the Sugar Creek sewer leak 2025-01-06, After WWALS narrowed it within 2000 feet
Also, I confidently predict the estimated spilled gallons will be at least 10,000, as in a major spill, after these two months it’s been spilling.
Congratulations again to Valdosta Utilities for finding the leak!
All of the images below are by WWALS; the Valdosta press release contains no images.
City of Valdosta Responds to Sewer Pipe Washout Along Sugar Creek
On Monday, January 6, 2025, at approximately 11:20 a.m., City personnel conducted inspections along Sugar Creek to identify a potential source of recent high bacterial counts in the area and a possible source of inflow into the lift stations. During this inspection, City workers discovered a recent washout where a sewer collection pipe had shifted open, allowing sanitary sewer to flow into the creek and vice versa.
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