Update 2025-07-14: Location of Sugar Creek Major Spill 2025-07-14.

Sewage is back in Sugar Creek, with children playing in it.

New sewage spill in Sugar Creek, E. coli Too Numerous to Count 2025-07-12, Spill site at railroad bridge, Valdosta Utilities is on it

WWALS tester Suzy Hall reported this morning, “Yesterday I visited the goat. As I approached, I heard kids splashing, jumping and having a ball. There was, to me, a slight smell…and the water color was off. I hoped I was wrong, but I wasn’t. It’s nasty. It’s too early to pull the plates, but it’s going to be TNTC at the goat.”

WaterGoat, Sugar Creek, 2025-07-12 –Suzy Hall for WWALS

As you can see by her slides, the result is indeed Too Numerous to Count (TNTC). at the WaterGoat, below the Salty Snapper parking lot.

Plates, WaterGoat, Sugar Creek, 2025-07-12 –Suzy Hall for WWALS

She reported, “And the final result is in and the spill has been reported, located and is sizeable. The utilities director is en route to the site at this time.”

The WaterGoat is a trash trap to catch debris before it gets into the Withlacoochee River.

Trash, WaterGoat, Sugar Creek, 2025-07-12 –Suzy Hall for WWALS

The railroad bridge over Sugar Creek is marked on ths map.

Map: Sugar Creek from Baytree Road north to the Withlacoochee River in the WWALS map of the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT) 2025-01-09

Here are a couple of pictures I took in earlier months of that location.

Sewage bypass pump, Sugar Creek, 2025-04-01, 11:09:06, 30.8518739, -83.3147884

Sewager bypass pipes across Sugar Creek, 2025:05:14 13:34:07, –jsq for WWALS 30.8519000, -83.3148300

This sewage spill may have been caused by the recent rains, or some other reason.

Thanks to Suzy Hall for discovering it.

I look forward to hearing from Valdosta Utilities what they’ve done about it.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

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