Tag Archives: Sewage Spills Report

Ashburn spill locations and causes in GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report 2025-02-26

Update 2025-03-07: Clean Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers 2025-03-06.

After GA-EPD forgot to list sewage spill locations or causes for several days, we can finally see where and why Ashburn had its late-January and mid-February spills into Hat Creek, which runs to the Alapaha River.

Plus an amusing update on Pinehurst, which is outside the Suwannee River Basin.

Ashburn spill locations and causes

The locations are listed as different: “Rockhouse Rd. Lift Station” for the 2025-01-31 spill and “Rockhouse Rd and Sylvia Dr.” for the 2025-02-14 spill. But from time to time GA-EPD lists the latitude and longitude of spills, and these two have the same latlong: 31.691673, -83.632582.

That’s at this manhole at the corner of Rockhouse Road and Silvia Drive: Continue reading →

Five days of changes in GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report 2025-02-14

Update 2025-03-01: Ashburn spill locations and causes in GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report 2025-02-26.

Update 2025-02-14: Dirty Sugar Creek, clean Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers 2025-02-13.

This is the busiest week I can remember in the GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report, yet only one new minor spill was reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia.

No new sewage spills were reported this week in the Basin in Florida.

GA-EPD Sewage Spills Reports, 5 Days ending 2025-02-14

The Pinehurst spill of February 6 was newly reported on February 12, but for reasons given below is not our concern. It was updated the next day with Overflow Locaion of “Spill was located along highway 49 outside the city of Pinehurst. The area affected was a thickly vegetated and wooded area with no nearby homes or businesses.” Today, February 14, it was updated again to remove that Overflow Location, which is unusual.

As the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GA-EPD) apparently realized today, Pinehurst is not in the Suwannee River Basin. I could figure out whether it’s in the Flint or Altamaha River Basins, but for three reasons (minor spill, “Did not enter waters of the State”, and not in the Suwannee River Basin), it’s not my problem. It still showed up in the WWALS processing today because we pick up everything in Dooly County since part of that county is in the Suwannee River Basin and we don’t want to miss anything.

The Valdosta January 14 Jackson Street spill was first reported on January 17. Today’s report only adds the cause: “Debris obstruction from trash from local corrections facility.” I’m not sure what corrections facility that would be, but it was still a tiny spill that did not get into Browns Canal or down into Sugar Creek or the Withlacoochee River.

So the winner is Ashburn, with Continue reading →

Valdosta sewage spill reports to GA-EPD from November 7 through December 3, 2024

Update 2024-12-13: Filthy Sugar Creek, dirty Franks Creek, bad upstream Withlacoochee River, clean downstream 2024-12-12.

I got part of what I asked for in an open records request to the City of Valdosta: “All sewage spill reports sent to the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GA-EPD) on or after November 6, 2024, through December 2, 2024”. Those provide some extra detail, and some hints of fixes being planed for these problems.

Valdosta sewage spill reports to GA-EPD, from November 7 through December 3, 2024

I did not get the rest of it: “together with all associated correspondence between the City of Valdosta, GA-EPD, and other parties including state agencies in Georgia and Florida and relevant landowners.”

The December Meadowbrook Drive spill into Two Mile Branch

Let’s look at the most recent spill in the GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report, and compare that to what Valdosta Utilities sent to GA-EPD. Continue reading →

More Knob Hill Road sewage spills, Three Mile Branch, Valdosta 2024-11-07

Update 2024-11-08: Valdosta reports seven sewage spills, two ongoing 2024-11-08.

After many previously at the same location, this morning at 8:15 AM Richard A. Stalvey reported about 215 and 300 Knob Hill Road: “Heavy sewage spills at above addresses in Worthington Woods. I let the city know a few minutes ago.”

More Knob Hill Road sewage spills 2024-11-07, Three Mile Branch, Withlacoochee River, Valdosta, GA

This afternoon he sent this video of sewage spewing out of a manhole and running into a ditch which goes to Three Mile Branch in Langdale Park and on to the Withlacoochee River.

If you see or smell a spill, or a flooded road or other concern, please send it to us and report it on Valdosta Click-n-Fix.
https://wwals.net/report/
https://www.valdostacity.com/report-a-concern

Probably there are other spills due to the foot of rain on Valdosta last night.

Notice Continue reading →

Hurricane Helene Sewage Spills 2024-09-27

Update 2024-10-06: Corrected location of Valdosta Ponderosa Lift Station (1001 Ponderosa Drive).

Update 2024-10-04: Clean Withlacoochee River after Hurricane Helene, but much flooding and storm damage 2024-10-02.

Tifton spilled 1.375 million gallons of raw sewage during Hurricane Helene, 950,000 into a creek that goes to the Little River, and the rest into creeks that go to the New River above the Withlacoochee River.

Sycamore spilled 350 gallons above Hat Creek, above the Alapaha River.

According to Valdosta Utilities Director Jason Barnes, Valdosta spilled 9,000 gallons due to a tree falling on a lift station, above Knights Creek, which goes to Mud Swamp Creek, the Alapahoochee River, and the Alapaha River. He said he has reported it to GA-EPD. Perhaps it will appear Monday in the GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report.

Tifton spilled 1.375,000 gallons, Sycamore 350, during Hurricane Helene. Valdosta spilled 9,000 gallons, tree on lift station.

I would avoid the directly-affected creeks. But these are all so far upstream of their rivers that the rivers were probably not much affected.

But you might check with Reed-Bingham State Park for their latest lake contamina tion report before swimming there. Continue reading →

Another Knob Hill sewage spill on Three Mile Branch in Valdosta 2024-08-05

Update 2024-08-06: Valdosta announces four minor sewage spills due to Hurricane Debby 2024-08-06.

Yesterday, Richard A. Stalvey reported to Valdosta Utilities, “Obviously, low priority right now, but the manholes at 300 Knob Hill and 215 Knob Hill are flowing profusely. A large tree has also blown down across the manhole at 300 Knob Hill.”

More sewage spewing, Knob Hill Road, Valdosta, GA, 2024-08-05, Three Mile Branch, Withlacoochee River

At my request, he sent these pictures, and added, “Typical sewage smell. Couldn’t get close enough to the one on 215 Knob. Too much water in the creek.”

This location has seen many sewage spills before.

I left a telephone message for Valdosta Utilities Director Jason Barnes. No doubt he is pretty busy right now, so we’ll see what he has to say later.

Meanwhile, Quitman, GA, already reported two sewage spills. Without locations or amounts, but at least Quitman informed the public that there have been spills.

Valdosta could do the same. As could Ashburn, Rochelle, Adel, Tifton, Homerville, etc. Continue reading →

Three more Ashburn sewage spills reported more than a week late 2024-07-20

Update 2025-03-01: Ashburn spill locations and causes in GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report 2025-02-26.

Update 2024-08-02: Partly clean Withlacoochee River 2024-08-01.

One of Ashburn’s spills was huge: 250,000 gallons (10,000 is a major spill). All three late-reported spills were into Hat Creek into the Alapaha River.

Ashburn spills 290,000 gallons 2024-07-20, raw sewage into Hat Creek,
reported in the July 31, 2024, GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report

That increases Ashburn’s running (pun intended) total to 2,096,500 gallons of raw sewage over the past 13 months: July 2023 through July 2024. Continue reading →

Twelve months of Ashburn sewage spills 2024-07-08

Update 2024-08-02: Three more Ashburn sewage spills reported more than a week late 2024-07-20.

Update 2024-07-19: Clean Santa Fe River 2024-07-17.

It looks like Ashburn, Georgia, has spilled 1,806,500 gallons of raw sewage in the twelve months until now.

The vast majority of that went into Hat Creek, which runs into the Alapaha River.

Twelve months of Ashburn sewage spills, July 2023 to July 2024

The most recent spill, on July 8, but reported a week later on July 16, was 100,000 gallons of raw sewage due to “Mechanical failure”. Previous spills were mosty due to “Wet weather”, although there were several by “Power failure”, some by “Other”, and one by “Equipment failure”.

This list is compiled from the GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report, as archived and interpreted daily by WWALS. Continue reading →

Filthy Franks Creek, clean Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers, despite Ashburn spill 2024-06-05

Update 2024-06-14: Clean Alapaha, Withlacoochee, Ichetucknee, Santa Fe Rivers except @ US 129 2024-06-13.

With little rain, the Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers tested clean for Wednesday. But Franks Creek west of Hahira was quite filthy. Why is a mystery, unless the Hahira sewer pipe crossing the creek was leaking.

Clean Withlacoochee and Alapaha River, Filthy Franks Creek 2024-06-05

One sewage spill was reported in the past week, a big one from Ashburn, far upstream from the Alapaha River.

The weather prediction for the weekend is sunny and hot.

The Alapaha is still high, but other than that, happy boating, swimming, and fishing!

Maybe join us tomorrow, Sullivan Launch to Madison Boat Ramp, Withlacoochee River, 2024-06-08.
https://wwals.net/?p=64848 Continue reading →

Ashburn and Quitman sewage spills reported 2024-05-22

Update 2024-05-31: Clean Withlacoochee and Santa Fe Rivers plus High Springs sewage spill 2024-05-30.

Ashburn had a 250,000-gallon sewage spill into Hat Creek to the Alapaha River Sunday a week ago, and a 2,500-gallon spill into Ashburn Branch into the Little River the day before, both because of “Wet weather”.

Quitman had a 300-gallon sewage spill at Brooks County High School Wednesday a week ago into a ditch that drains to Okapilco Creek.

Ashburn 250,000-gallon sewage spill into Hat Creek, Alapaha River 2024-05-19 and 2,500-gallon spill into Ashburn Branch, Little River, plus Quitman 300-gallon spill 2024-05-22

These spills appeared this Tuesday, May 28, 2024, in the GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report.

Why they took so long to report is a mystery.

Ashburn’s excuse of “Wet weather” is wearing thin. Yes, there were big rains those days, but Ashburn needs to fix its sewer system so rains don’t cause spills. Continue reading →

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