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. Continue reading →