Retrieving PFAS samplers, Mud Swamp Creek 2024-10-29, Withlacoochee River 2024-11-23

Update 2024-11-30: Bad Sugar Creek, clean Withlacoochee River 2024-11-26.

Hurricane Helene destroyed three out of four PFAS samplers, and kept us from retrieving the fourth until long after time.

Hurricane Helene demolished PFAS samplers, Withlacoochee River 2024-11-23, Mud Swamp Creek 2024-10-29

Back on September 14 and 15 we deployed four PFAS samplers, upstream and downstream from two wastewater treatment plants, on the Withlacoochee River and on Mud Swamp Creek.

These are a new design that you leave in the flowing water for 28 days thereabouts, then retrieve, and effectively they were taking a sample a day.

But then came Hurricane Helene.

Thanks to Gee Edwards and Phil Royce for helping on the Withlacoochee River Saturday, after the chainsaw cleanup. Especially thanks to Phil for the tow back when the 9.9 hp outboard quit. We’ll investigate what is its problem this time.

We put the upstream sampler slightly up from Valdosta’s Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) Outfall.

That was the only one we actually could retrieve.

Movie: PFAS sampler site above WWTP, 14:22:57, 30.8363000, -83.3594000

But it was clogged with mud and pine straw, and it should have been retrieved a month earlier.

PFAS sampler from upstream of Valdosta WWTP, 14:22:57, 30.8363000, -83.3594000

Here is the Valdosta WWTP Outflow, weirdly frothing, and with its sign blown askew by Hurricane Helene.

This is the cleaned-up outflow, after sewage treatement. It’s what we want to see, although I don’t know what the frothing means.

Movie: Frothing outflow, WWTP, and sad PFAS collector, 13:25:20, (52M) 30.8362140, -83.3596507

We put the downstream sampler a bit below Spring Branch, which runs by the WWTP, the landfill, and a golf course. The WWTP sends its solid waste to the landfill, which sends its leachate to the WWTP. So this way we bracketed both WWTP and landfill.

Here is Spring Branch, down which that 7.2 million gallons of raw sewage came in Valdosta’s spill of November 7-11, 2024.

Closeup Spring Branch, 13:52:43, 30.8283200, -83.3848350

The tree branch broke that was holding that Spring Branch sampler, and it was buried under a heap of debris in Hurricane Helene.

PFAS collector under a mass of debris below Spring Branch, 13:49:49, 30.8285963, -83.3856886

We could not retrieve it. It would be filthy anyway.

Cannot pull up, and would be filthy anyway, 13:49:50, 30.8285963, -83.3856886

Phil Royce did net a green bottle, and Gee Edwards retrieved a styrofoam cup, both floating down the Withlacoochee River.

Movie: Phil Royce netted a green bottle out of the Withlacoochee River, 14:07:05, (13M) 30.8401584, -83.3732726

There was damage everywhere from Hurricane Helene, for example at Paul Deloach’s private boat ramp.

Paul Deloach Private Ramp, 14:10:40, 30.8378501, -83.3701904

Thanks to Wild Green Future for the grant that paid for the 9.9 hp outboard, as well as the 24-inch Husqvarna chainsaw and the 86lb thrust trolling motor and batteries, which we used to assist getting back.

Back on September 15 Gretchen Quarterman and I put two samplers on Mud Swamp Creek. We put the upstream sampler upstream from the Inner Perimeter (US 41) bridge and upstream from Valdosta’s Mud Creek WTP Outfall.

Unfortunately, the supporting board broke in the hurricane.

Upstream, Inner Perimeter Road (US 41), board broke, 2024:10:29 15:17:16, 30.8049723, -83.2354256

We put the downstream sampler upstream from the Johnson Road bridge and downstream from the MCWTP.

Unfortunately, the cord broke in the hurricane.

Downstream, Johnson Road SE, cord broke, 2024:10:29 14:50:36, 30.7961271, -83.2090706

Thanks to Christian Breen for organizing this nationwide Waterkeeper Alliance program. We will see if we can try again.

-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!
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