Two kinds of good news today on the telephone with Valdosta Utilities Director Jason Barnes:

1. They’re making progress on the manholes and the sewer line at Wainwright Drive on One Mile Branch, and they’re posting that progress online.
2. They did test Sugar Creek this week, and they will test again the next two weeks. The results are not great, and they are considering further tests until the results decrease to acceptable levels.

Sewer System Repairs and Water Quality Testing by Valdosta Utilities, 2025-10-21

Valdosta Utilities is posting updates to on-going projects here:
https://www.valdostacity.com/utilities/administration

You can get there from valdostacity.com via Departments in the main menu, then Utilities, then Administration.

These are basically the slides Jason Barnes presented to the Florida River Task Force on August 14, 2025. Plus updates.

Slide 10 of 11 shows among other things “Remer 30″ Phase 1,” which is to replace the problem stretch of sewer line running to the notorious Wainwright Road manhole. This project has already started.

Remer 30-Inch Phase 1, 2025-10-21, Slide 10 of 11 –Valdosta Utilities

Slide 11 of 11 shows pictures of the two newly-raised Wainwright Drive manholes.

It also says about Sugar Creek Repair that “The city is waiting on the permits from the railroad.” Jason Barnes told me today that they have the permits already, they’re just waiting for the railroad to do its part.

Regarding the Withlacoochee Plant modifications, I would hope that includes the additiona catch basin that the Mayor announced on his radio station about two months ago.

Wainwright Raised Manhole Project, 2025-10-21, Slide 11 of 11 –Valdosta Utilities

Jason Barnes says these slides will continue to be updated.

Meanwhile, it turns out Valdosta Utilities did test last Thursday and this Tuesday on Sugar Creek.

At Baytree Road they got 690 last week and 860 this week,

At Gornto Road they got 550 last week and 970 this week.

These are all too-high results consistent with what WWALS got downstream at the WaterGoat the previous two weeks.

Table: Sugar Creek Results, 2025-10-21 –Valdosta Utilities

As you can see by the blank spaces for WEEK 3 and WEEK 4, Valdosta Utilities will also test Sugar Creek next week and the week after that.

I asked if they would continue testing until the results reverted to clean. He said they were considering that, and working on a potential plan.

Surprisingly, upstream on the Withlacoochee River from Sugar Creek, they also got too high at US 41 (North Valdosta Road): 520 last week and 460 this week.

Table: US 41, US 84, Withlacoochee River Results, 2025-10-21 –Valdosta Utilities

And, as expected from the WWALS results, they got too-high at GA 133, downstream of Sugar Creek: 480 for last week and 530 for this week.

Also as expected from previous results, farther downstream at US 84 they got pretty clean 120 last week and 30 this week.

Table: GA 133, US 84, Withlacoochee River Results, 2025-10-21 –Valdosta Utilities

So, congratulations, Jason Barnes and Valdosta Utilities on substantial progress!

 -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/

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