Update 2024-12-20: Langdale Park back open 2024-12-17.
On my way to collect some water quality samples, I looked in at Langdale Park towards the Withlacoochee River and Country Club Road at Three Mile Branch, both in Valdosta.
Nope, no driving in those places.
No doubt there are higher priorities for Lowndes County Public Works and Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority (VLPRA). Continue reading
Update 2024-12-05:
Valdosta has published their results for Tuesday 2024-12-03.
Lower than ours at St. Augustine Road (380), but way higher at Gornto Road: 12,700, more than a dozen times the 1,000 alert limit.
There has been no rain.
Is there some other explanation than an intermittent sewage leak between St. Augustine Road and Gornto? -jsq
https://www.valdostacity.com/utilities/river-stream-water-quality-data/nov-2024-overflow-testing-results
Down at the WaterGoat was the worst place for E. coli on Sugar Creek on Monday: more than three times the alert limit at 3,200 cfu/100 mL.
It is not all coming from Two Mile Branch: we also got bad results upstream.
![[Still very bad 2024-12-02, Sugar Creek, Withlacoochee River, Where is the sewage spill or spills?]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-12-02--wq/fbmany.jpg)
Still very bad 2024-12-02, Sugar Creek, Withlacoochee River, Where is the sewage spill or spills?
Some of the colonies are faint, but they’re blue with bubbles, which is what we count: (43+28+25) * 100 / 3 = 3,200 cfu/100mL, which is more than three times the 1,000 alert limit. . Continue reading
Update 2024-12-11: Valdosta sewage spill reports to GA-EPD from November 7 through December 3, 2024 2024-12-03.
Update 2024-12-04: Horrid Sugar Creek 2024-12-02.
This sewage spill Tuesday of last week does not explain the very high E. coli results on Sugar Creek this Saturday.
![[Valdosta sewage spill on Meadowbrook Drive 2024-11-26 into Two Mile Branch, Sugar Creek, Withlacoochee River]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-12-02--valdosta-sewage-spill-meadowbrook-drive/many.jpg)
Valdosta sewage spill on Meadowbrook Drive 2024-11-26 into Two Mile Branch, Sugar Creek, Withlacoochee River.
Map: WWALS
Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT)
I commend Valdosta for saying which waterbody the spill went into (Two Mile Branch). But the location is very vague: somewhere on Meadowbrook Drive. And why did Valdosta take a week to tell the public?
On November 26, 2024, the Utilities: Central Line Division was notified of a potential sanitary sewer overflow on Meadowbrook Drive. Upon arrival, it was determined that an unknown obstruction or a collapse in the line was likely the cause of the issue. Central Line personnel began efforts to clear the obstruction from the sewer line but discovered the issue was more extensive than initially anticipated.
The team decided that additional personnel and equipment were necessary to assess the full scope of the problem. Bypass pumps, a larger crew, and additional equipment were brought in to perform a thorough evaluation of the line and determine the best course of action. It is estimated that 1,000 to 2,000 gallons of wastewater were released from a manhole into Two Mile Branch. City staff have initiated cleanup procedures and disinfection at the overflow site while continuing to address the repair.
The Utilities: Central Line Division will remain on-site until the issue is resolved. All appropriate regulatory and public health agencies have been notified.
The City of Valdosta remains committed to preventing sanitary sewer overflows. The Utilities Department is actively modernizing aging infrastructure and implementing a range of programs and strategies to minimize and prevent such incidents within the city limits.
For more information about these initiatives or to learn how you can contribute, please contact the City of Valdosta Utilities Department, Environmental Division, at 229-259-3592.
-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/
Update 2024-12-04: Horrid Sugar Creek 2024-12-02.
Update 2024-12-02: Valdosta Sewage Spill, Meadowbrook Drive, Two Mile Branch 2024-11-26.
Sugar Creek was even nastier Saturday, near the Withlacoochee River, according to a WWALS test result.
The Alapaha River was questionable at US 82, that same day.
There has been no rain to speak of for a week, so rain is not washing contamination into the creeks.
It is very hard to see what could be causing such Sugar Creek E. coli numbers other than a sewage spill.
![[Nasty Sugar Creek near Withlacoochee River Questionable Sheboggy @ US 82, Alapaha River 2024-11-30]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-11-30--wq/many.jpg)
Nasty Sugar Creek near Withlacoochee River Questionable Sheboggy @ US 82, Alapaha River 2024-11-30
No new sewage spills have been reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida.
Valdosta does have a sewage spill warning sign up at Sugar Creek below Berta’s Kitchen, and it is needed there. Continue reading
Update 2024-12-02: Nasty Sugar Creek, Withlacoochee River; questionable Sheboggy, Alapaha River 2024-11-30.
I’d avoid Sugar Creek, but the Withlacoochee River otherwise is probably OK, as well as other rivers in the Suwannee River Basin.
So happy fishing, paddling, boating, and, if you like cold, swimming this weekend.
Remember, many parks and put-ins remain closed after Hurricane Helene. So check before you go.
![[Bad Sugar Creek; Clean Withlacoochee River 2024-11-26 No new known sewage spills; No rain]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-11-26--wq/many.jpg)
Bad Sugar Creek; Clean Withlacoochee River 2024-11-26 No new known sewage spills; No rain
No new sewage spills have been reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida. And there has been very little rain this week to wash any new contamination into waterways.
But something must have been causing the extremely high E. coli results by Valdosta Utilities Gornto Road on Sugar Creek. The result for Tuesday of 3,755 cfu/100 mL is more than three times the 1,000 alert limit.
Valdosta’s 605 upstream for Tuesday at St. Augustine Road on Hightower Creek was way down from previous results, although still higher than the 410 one-time test limit. So maybe Valdosta Utilities found and fixed the leak. We don’t know, because they have not returned our calls about that, and the City of Valdosta has not made any announcement.
WWALS tester Suzy Hall tested Sugar Creek downstream of Gornto Road last Saturday. Continue reading
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.
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. Continue reading
Update 2024-11-30: Bad Sugar Creek, clean Withlacoochee River 2024-11-26.
Madison Health on Wednesday lifted its health advisory about the Withlacoochee River, after they got two successive good water quality results, for Friday and Monday, at CR 145, aka Mozell Spells, State Line Boat Ramp, on GA 31, Madison Highway.
Valdosta’s Tuesday results at US 84 agree, but Valdosta’s GA 133 results were too high, and Valdosta’s Hightower and Sugar Creek results were way too high.
WWALS upstream testing Thursday was good.
No new sewage spills have been reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida.
The Withlacoochee River is well below Action stage. So happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating.
Remember, many parks and put-ins remain closed after Hurricane Helene. So check before you go.
Or join us tomorrow for the Withlacoochee River Chainsaw Cleanup after Hurricane Helene, Troupville Boat Ramp 2024-11-23.
![[Cleaner Withlacoochee River 2024-11-21 Questionable Hightower and Sugar Creeks]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-11-21--wq/many.jpg)
Cleaner Withlacoochee River 2024-11-21 Questionable Hightower and Sugar Creeks
WWALS tester Cindy Vedas got Continue reading
Update 2024-11-20: Madison Health lifts Health Advisory for Withlacoochee River 2024-11-20.
It’s best to avoid the Withlacoochee River for a few more days at least, with it still in Action Stage around Valdosta, and not coming down fast, plus still questionable water quality results.
We have rescheduled to next week our Withlacoochee River Chainsaw Cleanup after Hurricane Helene, Troupville Boat Ramp 2024-11-23.
Better luck with the Suwannee or Santa Fe Rivers, or the Ichetucknee if any park entrances are open there.
Remember, many parks and put-ins remain closed after Hurricane Helene. So check before you go.
Water quality has improved for the Withlacoochee River, although Fecal coliform was still high at GA 133 and US 84 as well as One Mile Branch (Valdosta Utilities), and State Line (Madison Health).
Meanwhile, Valdosta Utilities reported E. coli and Fecal coliform still too high on Sugar Creek at Gornto Road and increased to extremely high on Hightower Creek at St. Augustine Road.
While no new sewage spills were reported in Georgia or Florida, it’s a little hard to believe there is no sewer spill on Hightower Creek with 42,500 cfu/100mL E. coli (42 times the 1,000 alert limit), Continue reading
Update 2024-11-16: Withlacoochee River and Two Mile Branch better, Hightower and Sugar Creeks very bad 2024-11-14.
Water quality was bad for the Withlacoochee River at Sullivan Launch for Tuesday in results from Madison Department of Health.
Bad for One Mile Branch and Sugar Creek in results from the City of Valdosta for Wednesday and from WWALS tester Scotti Jay.
And bad for the Alapaha River at Sheboggy for Sunday in results from WWALS tester Heather Brasell.
Plus the Withlacoochee River is still in Action Stage around Valdosta, and not coming down fast.
So it’s best to avoid the Withlacoochee River for a few more days at least. Probably the Alapaha River, as well.
Better luck with the Suwannee or Santa Fe Rivers, or the Ichetucknee if any park entrances are open there.
Remember, many parks and put-ins remain closed after Hurricane Helene. So check before you go.
No new sewage spills have been reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Florida.
Valdosta’s flash flood spills finally showed up today in the GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report. Continue reading
Update 2024-12-13: Valdosta sewage spill reports to GA-EPD from November 7 through December 3, 2024 2024-12-03.
Update 2024-11-14: DOH-Madison Issues Health Advisory Near Withlacoochee River 2024-11-13
Received yesterday at 5:02 PM, November 11, 2024.
Thanks, Valdosta, for the update, and for mentioning the waterbodies affected for the WWTP and Wainwright Drive.
Regarding repairs, WWALS and many others have been asking for the Wainwright Drive manhole to be fixed for many years.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESS RELEASE
DATE: Monday, November 11, 2024
CONTACT: Sharah Denton, Community Relations & Marketing Manager
Telephone: (229) 259-3548City of Valdosta Update: Sanitary Overflow at Withlacoochee WWTP and Wainwright Drive Contained Following Historic Rainfall
UPDATE: 11/11/2024: At this time both the Withlacoochee WWTP and Wainwright Sanitary Overflows have stopped. Withlacoochee WWTP has an estimated overflow of 7.2 million Gallons from its secondary EQ Basin which enters a tributary before entering the Withlacoochee River. Wainwright Drive’s estimated overflow is 250,000 gallons. This overflow entered one mile branch, Sugar Creek and will enter the Withlacoochee River. Notifications have been sent to all required parties. Utilities Central Lines, Plant and Central Maintenance Crews have been dispatched to these locations for damage assessments, repairs and clean up. Environmental Services have actively placed Spill notification signs at access points and have begun required monitoring, sampling and testing of all required locations.
On November 7, 2024, the City of Valdosta and surrounding South Georgia region experienced a significant rain event, Continue reading
![[Langdale Park still inacessible, Country Club Road closed 2024-12-05, Withlacoochee River, Three Mile Branch]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-12-02--hurricane-helene-damage-langdale-park-country-club-road/fbmany.jpg)
![[Hurricane Helene demolished PFAS samplers, Withlacoochee River 2024-11-23, Mud Swamp Creek 2024-10-29]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-11-23--pfas-retrieval/fbmany.jpg)
![[Filthy Hightower and Sugar Creeks Better Withlacoochee River 2024-11-14 OK Two Mile Branch Good Franks Creek]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-11-14--wq/many.jpg)
![[Bad Withlacoochee River 2024-11-12 Bad Sugar Creek 2024-11-13 Bad One Mile Branch 2024-11-13 Bad Alapaha River 2024-11-10]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-11-13--wq/many.jpg)
![[Valdosta sewage spills contained 2024-11-11, after flash flood 2024-11-06, 7.2 millions gallons from WWTP, 272,500-276,500 from 6 others]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-11-11--valdosta-sewage-spills-contained/fbmany.jpg)