Erosion and sign missing at Valdosta WWTP Outfall 2025-03-22

4 Replies

Apparently some of the recent rains caused some damage at Valdosta’s Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) Outfall.

[Erosion at the WWTP Outfall, 2025:03:22 10:57:48, 30.8363739, -83.3591081]
Erosion at the WWTP Outfall, 2025:03:22 10:57:48, 30.8363739, -83.3591081

The sign is also missing.

Floridians: please note that this is the cleaned-up outflow after being treated by the plant. And this erosion probably does not affect that.

[Sign missing at WWTP Outfall, 2025:03:22 10:58:12, 30.8363739, -83.3591081]
Sign missing at WWTP Outfall, 2025:03:22 10:58:12, 30.8363739, -83.3591081

I took these pictures at 94.07 feet NAVD88 on the Quitman (US 84) Gauge.

There wasn’t much water falling at that level. But I call it the hundred-million-dollar waterfall, because Valdosta has spent well over a hundred million dollars on fixing their sewer system, with many more to come.

Here’s a WWALS playlist with brief videos of that outfall and sign:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKwQ5xfKf-Qzm3B-zMt8hyr_LJ9MT8QGF&si=-jeJYbwNTkciBLDu

Here is when I took each video, and at what water level:

[Movie: Valdosta WWTP Outfall, 9.98 NAVD88, Quitman Gauge, WWALS 25hp outboard, 15:11:48, 30.83625, -83.3596 (85M)]
Movie: Valdosta WWTP Outfall, 9.98 NAVD88, Quitman Gauge, WWALS 25hp outboard, 15:11:48, (85M) 30.8362500, -83.3596000

[Movie: Cleaned-up outfall from Valdosta WWTP, 87.97 feet NAVD88, Quitman Gauge, 2024:09:14 11:08:19, 30.83625, -83.359444 (45M)]
Movie: Cleaned-up outfall from Valdosta WWTP, 87.97 feet NAVD88, Quitman Gauge, 2024:09:14 11:08:19, (45M) 30.8362500, -83.3594440

[Movie: WWTP outflow with sign askew, 2024-11-23, 14:21:50, 30.8362140, -83.3596507]
Movie: WWTP outflow with sign askew, 2024-11-23, 14:21:50, 30.8362140, -83.3596507

[Movie: Sign missing at WWTP Outfall 2025:03:22 10:58:20, 30.8363739, -83.3591081]
Movie: Sign missing at WWTP Outfall 2025:03:22 10:58:20, 30.8363739, -83.3591081

Here is what the sign says (or used to):

CITY OF VALDOSTA
WITHLACOOCHEE RIVER
WATER POLLUTION CONTROL PLANT
PERMIT # 33235
OUTFALL NUMBER 001
ADVANCED ACTIVATED SLUDGE TREATED
WASTEWATER

 -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/

4 thoughts on “Erosion and sign missing at Valdosta WWTP Outfall 2025-03-22”

  1. John Doe

    I’m planning a kayaking trip on the Willacoochee River and I’m concerned about the water quality. Can you find the latest water quality data for the Willacoochee River and also report a potential pollution issue I saw on my last trip, which was a large amount of trash near the Highway 82 bridge?.

    Reply ↓
    2. jsq Post author

      Do you really mean the Willacoochee River, as in the one that runs south by Holt and Lax across US 82 and joins the Alapaha River west of Willacoochee, GA? If so, you’re brave. We never hear of anybody paddling on that river.

      Reply ↓
    3. jsq Post author

      If you’re talking about the Withlacoochee River, it does not cross US 82. Maybe you meant US 84, between Quitman and Valdosta? If so, we went by there Saturday, and there was no trash visible at that location.
      So please clarify what river and location you are asking about. -jsq

      Reply ↓

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