Update 2025-03-07: Clean Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers 2025-03-06.

After GA-EPD forgot to list sewage spill locations or causes for several days, we can finally see where and why Ashburn had its late-January and mid-February spills into Hat Creek, which runs to the Alapaha River.

Plus an amusing update on Pinehurst, which is outside the Suwannee River Basin.

Ashburn spill locations and causes

The locations are listed as different: “Rockhouse Rd. Lift Station” for the 2025-01-31 spill and “Rockhouse Rd and Sylvia Dr.” for the 2025-02-14 spill. But from time to time GA-EPD lists the latitude and longitude of spills, and these two have the same latlong: 31.691673, -83.632582.

That’s at this manhole at the corner of Rockhouse Road and Silvia Drive:

Manhole with spill sign, Rockhouse Road at Sylvia Drive, Ashburn, GA –Google Streetview

I’ve been there, and there is a manhole. I have not seen any lift station nearby, so it would be interesting to know where it really is.

Especially considering the cause given for the 2025-01-31 spill is “Lift Station at Rockhouse RD was not pumping”. Also, why was it not pumping?

• No power?
• Contractor left it turned off like in Valdosta’s notorious December 2019 spill?
• Other reason?

Ashburn really needs to get a grip.

This location is a tad north of Ashburn’s Wastewater Treatmant plant, by the airport:

Ashburn WTP –Google Streetview

Map: Ashburn Spills in the WWALS map of the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT).

Hat Creek comes into the Alapaha River at river mile 153.65. That is 26 miles above Sheboggy Boat Ramp, which is the most upstream landing on the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT).

Map: Ashburn to Sheboggy in the WWALS map of the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT).

Sheboggy is 127.60 river miles upstream from the Suwannee River. Tiny Ashburn spills like these are very unlikely to affect the Alapaha or Suwannee Rivers. Ashburns previous much bigger spills may have done so.

Map: Ashburn to Suwannee River in the WWALS map of the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT).

This Sewage Spills Report by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GA-EPD) also included detail about the Pinehurst spill of 2025-02-06. Pinehurst is outside the Suwannee River Basin, so not our problem, but this detail is amusing.

Pinehurst 2025-02-06 Spill in 2025-02-26 GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report

Cause: “Georgia DOT personnel were excavating around a highway culvert and ruptured the cities 6” force main that runs parallel to the highway but were apparently unaware and left the scene after work was completed.”

That is impressive.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

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