Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson offered to show me where the Pilgrims Pride Outflow pipe discharges wastewater into the Suwannee River from the chicken processing plant on US 90, near Suwannee River State Park.

While there, I took water quality samples upstream from the pipe, from the end of the pipe, and downstream from the pipe. The results are zero E. coli upstream and downstream, and 33 cfu/100 mL from the end of the pipe, which is also very clean.

We observed no outflow from the pipe. But maybe they just don’t send anything through the pipe on weekends. According to EPA ECHO, that pipe has exceeded its mercury allowance recently; more on that later.

Pilgrims Pride chicken plant outfall into Suwannee River 2025-12-20, Clean samples, but permitted for 1.5 MGD

The Pilgrims Pride wastewater permit No. FL0001465-008-IW7A still (as of 2020) allows up to 1.50 million gallons per day (MGD) “monthly average daily flow”.

The final treated effluent which includes process wastewater and non-process wastewater discharges to Suwannee River (Class III fresh Water, WBID 3422B). The permittee is also authorized to land apply 0.040 MGD of sludge to a sprayfield system. The facility is located at latitude 30° 22′ 18.99″ N, longitude 83° 9′ 29.85″ W, on 19740 US Highway 90, Live Oak, Florida 32060-8753 in Suwannee County.

Merrillee explained all that.

Movie: Where are we, Merrillee? 2025:12:20 12:10:41, (142M) –Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson for WWALS 30.3657478, -83.1915831

She had already been there back in 2017.

That National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit says that Outfall D-001 “is an 18” diameter steel pipe approximately 20-feet from shore discharging at an elevation of approximately 39 feet (MSL). The point of discharge (POD) is located approximately at latitude 30° 21′ 56.1″ N, longitude 83° 11′ 29.64″ W.”

Here is a location map from the permit:

Figure 2: Effluent Disposal/Land Application Sites, 2020-04-09 –FDEP Permit No. FL0001465-008-IW7A
PDF

We met at Suwannee River State Park (SRSP), headed east on US 90, and turned south onto River Road.

Map: Pilgrims Pride to Outfall, 2025-12-23, in the WWALS map of the Suwannee River Water Trail (SRWT)

We passed the Duke Energy Power Plant and the Duke Energy Suwannee Solar Facility.

Sign, Duke Energy, Suwannee Solar Facility, 4020 River Road, 2025:12:20 11:37:30, –jsq for WWALS 30.3768271, -83.1739339

We turned right onto Cedar Lane, which leads past bright-yellow-painted manholes to the Suwannee River.

Yellow-painted manhole, 2025:12:20 11:43:22, –jsq for WWALS 30.3663429, -83.1837679

I followed my dog Blondie down the riverbank.

Blondie down to the Suwannee River, 2025:12:20 11:51:13, –jsq for WWALS 30.3657769, -83.1914157

This is just downstream from the power line and FGT gas pipeline to Perry, Florida.

Warning Do Not Anchor or Dredge, Gas Pipeline Crossing, Florida Gas Transmission Company, 2025:12:20 11:51:19, –jsq for WWALS 30.3657769, -83.1914157

Merrillee was already photographing the outflow pipe.

Blondie and Merrillee at the Pilgrims Pride outflow pipe, 2025:12:20 11:51:27, –jsq for WWALS 30.3657769, -83.1914157

Here it is, in sight of the I-10 bridge, which is a bit more than half a mile downstream.

Pilgrims Pride Outflow Pipe, Suwannee River, downstream to I-10 Bridge, 2025:12:20 11:52:20, –jsq for WWALS 30.3657077, -83.1914188

The SRSP Ramp is a mile and a quarter upstream, out of sight around that bend.

Pilgrims Pride Outflow Pipe, upstream towards Suwannee River State Park, 2025:12:20 11:52:48, –jsq for WWALS 30.3656622, -83.1914887

The end of the pipe was acting like a dam, keeping river flow from getting to the downstream side of the pipe. We could not see anything coming out of the pipe.

End of Pilgrims Pride Outflow Pipe, 2025:12:20 11:53:16, –Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson for WWALS 30.3656622, -83.1914887

I took a sample upstream from the pipe.

Bucket in Suwannee River, 2025:12:20 11:58:30, –Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson for WWALS 30.3657478, -83.1915831

Reeled it in.

Movie: Sampling upstream from the Pilgrims Pride Pipe, 2025:12:20 11:58:36, (218M) –Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson for WWALS 30.3657478, -83.1915831

And a sample from the end of the pipe.

Movie: Sampling at the Pilgrims Pride Pipe, 2025:12:20 12:02:58, (94M) –Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson for WWALS 30.3657478, -83.1915831

Each sample I poured from the bucket into a pre-labled WhirlPak. Then whirled it to close, and tied it.

Pour sample from bucket into Whirlpak, 2025-12-20, –Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson for WWALS

Here are the samples on ice for transport back for processing.

Samples on ice: control, upstream, Pilgrims Pride pipe, downstream, 2025:12:20 12:18:02, –jsq for WWALS 30.3658151, -83.1912449

This is the Pilgrim’s Pride plant on US 90.

Pilgrims Pride, 19740 US-90, Live Oak, FL 32060, 2025:12:20 13:18:44, –jsq for WWALS 30.3736149, -83.1576200

The samples incubated for 24 hours.

Samples in incubator, yes, it warmed up more, 2025:12:20 16:26:27, –jsq for WWALS 31.0127040, -83.2700745

The upstream plates show no blue E. coli colonies.

Plates, Upstream, Pilgrims Pride Outfall, 2025-12-20 –jsq for WWALS

The plates from the sample at the pipe’s end show one blue colony with bubbles on plate 3. So that’s 1 * 100 / 3 = 33 cfu/100 mL. CFU is colony forming units.

Plates, Pipe, Pilgrims Pride Outfall, 2025-12-20 –jsq for WWALS

And the downstream plates show no blue colonies, so zero E. coli, same as for upstream.

Plates, Downstream, Pilgrims Pride Outfall, 2025-12-20 –jsq for WWALS

Here are a few more pages from the permit, a copy of which is on the WWALS website.

Notice of Permit Issuance, 2020-04-09 –FDEP Permit No. FL0001465-008-IW7A
PDF

Environment Florida sued Pilgrim’s Pride on March 9, 2017, about excess and unclean effluent through that outfall pipe into the Suwannee River.

https://wwals.net/?p=31703

Figure 1: Site Plant, 2020-04-09 –FDEP Permit No. FL0001465-008-IW7A
PDF

The defendant settled later that same year, for $1.43 million.

https://wwals.net/?p=39080

The settlement required Pilgrim’s Pride to “Conduct a comprehensive study on eliminating the plant’s wastewater discharge to the Suwannee River;”

Yet, as we have seen, a later NPDES permit for the same plant and outflow still allows 1.50 MGD averaged monthly. The permit does at least require additional steps to clean up the outflow before it is discharged into the river.

Upstream and downstream biotic integrity monitoring stations, 2020-04-09 –FDEP Permit No. FL0001465-008-IW7A
PDF

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

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