Tag Archives: Tim Carroll

Valdosta: Catch Basin finished

Valdosta has completed the long-awaited catch basin at the entrance to the Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP). That won’t stop spills that happen elsewhere, such as the big one in December 2019, but it might have stopped 2/3 of the December 2018 sewage spill gallons. And Valdosta’s press release also emphasizes further fixes elsewhere.

Valdosta WWTP Catch Basin

First proposed December 6, 2018, by by City Council Tim Carroll, just as Valdosta had its third major sewage spill episode of 2018, including eighteen locations, followed by five more on December 14 and 15. Only three of those spills came from the WWTP, but those three did account for most of the gallons spilled. However, the record December 2019 spill did not come from the WWTP at all.

Valdosta got a permit for the catch basin from GA-EPD in December 2019, before it was required to dig it in a new GA-EPD Consent Order. Valdosta held a groundbreaking July 21, 2020.

Now the catch basin is finished, after only a year and a half. It should decrease the likelihood of spills from the WWTP. December is the traditional Valdosta sewage spill season, and so far there have been none. Meanwhile, sanitary sewer work continues elsewhere in Valdosta.

Valdosta PR, November 19, 2020, Equalization Basin at Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) Completed, Continue reading →

Troupville River Camp on Valdosta City Council agenda 2019-12-05

On the Valdosta City Council agenda for 5:30 PM this Thursday is:

7.b. Consideration of a request from the WWALS Watershed Coalition for a Letter of Support for the Troupville River Camp.

[2019-10-31--center-of-wlrwt]
Troupville River Camp at the center of the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT), leading from the Little and Withlacoochee Rivers upstream in Georgia, down the Withlacoochee River to Florida and the Suwannee River, with its own River Camps.

If I understand correctly, the Mayor plans to discuss this item with Council, and then write and send a letter of support. Anyone who wants to attend to support this action by Valdosta, please come. I may stand up afterwards in Citizens to Be Heard to thank them.

At 5:30 PM, Tuesday, December 10, 2019, at the Lowndes County Commission Regular Session, I will Continue reading →

Water Trail signs to Lowndes County Museum 2019-07-30

Don Davis of the Lowndes County Museum had asked for copies of some water trail signs, so today I delivered to him duplicates of the ones for Troupville Boat Ramp:

WLRWT Signs, Lowndes County Museum

One of them is about the entire Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT). As befits a museum, this one is actually a prototype, with Continue reading →

Troupville, Little River Confluence, shoals, creeks, and Spook Bridge 2019-06-15

Update 2019-07-05:: Some WWALS videos on YouTube.

The first day of #PaddleGA2019 was a fun day, with a confluence, greetings by VIPs, creeks, small rapids, a limpkin, Valdosta’s notorious Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant Outfall, one bad water quality reading (not there), swimming, an even more notorious fracked methane pipeline, and Spook Bridge, with a pet deer across the river. Thanks to The Langdale Company for that takeout and the Port-A-Potty location, and thanks to the Battery Source for the loan of the golf cart to WWALS.

Here’s Gwyneth Moody, Georgia River Network Water Trail coordinator, getting her orange kayak in the water.

[Load 'em up, 07:51:54, 30.8515032, -83.3476099]
Load ’em up, 07:51:54, 30.8515032, -83.3476099

Somebody was flying a drone. Continue reading →

Valdosta and Lowndes County greet Paddle Georgia at Land Between the Rivers 2019-06-15

Lowndes County Chairman Bill Slaughter and Valdosta City Council Tim Carroll, representing the Mayor, greeted Paddle Georgia, #PaddleGA2019, and Gwyneth Moody at Land Between the Rivers, with Helen Tapp representing the landowners, at the Withlacoochee River Confluence. Donald O. Davis of the Lowndes County Historical Society provided background.

Here’s a LAKE video playlist:


Valdosta and Lowndes County greet Paddle Georgia at Land Between the Rivers 2019-06-15
Video by John S. Quarterman for WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS),

Golf cart shuttle courtesy of The Battery Source, driven by WWALS members Conn and Trudy Cole and Gretchen Quarterman.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!

Wastewater at Valdosta City Council, Winter 2018-2019

While the Rivers Task Force of the dozen downstream Florida counties is looking for something to do to help, Valdosta clearly hasn’t yet done enough to stop its sewage spills, but they are doing more. Here’s some context that may indicate what might help. Spoiler: water quality monitoring, funding for further fixes, and enforcement if necessary. Unless raw sewage spills really are what Valdosta wants to be known for in Tallahassee and Atlanta.

Totals, Table
See Valdosta December 2018 sewage and Hamilton County, FL legislative delegation 2019-01-16″>

Also: come on up and talk to the Valdosta City Council. Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson did, and it got their attention. They keep hearing from me for years now, and it helps to see somebody directly affected downstream come up and speak.

This post is mostly about two Valdosta City Council meetings, that included much discussion of the recent Valdosta wastewater spills, on on Continue reading →

Paddle Race, Film festival, Songwriting Contest, and Water Trails @ VCC 2018-04-05

The audience was amused at the thought of the Valdosta City Council racing at Reed Bingham, or of any of them writing songs. But it could happen! And any of them can come on down to the Wild & Scenic Film Festival in Valdosta.

You’ve already seen the videos of the two resolutions, for the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT) and the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT). Here are videos of three WWALS members thanking Valdosta Mayor and Council for those, plus three festivals. We call WWALS a coalition because many people are involved, from many backgrounds, doing many different things to conserve and advocate for our watersheds being swimmable, fishable, and at least our well water drinkable.

WWALS Watershed Coalition --jsq, Stills

There’s a playlist at the end.

Video: Valdosta resolution for Alapaha River Water Trail 2018-04-05

Not bad for a spring break agenda: Valdosta also passed a resolution for the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT), introduced by City Manager Mark Barber, moved by Council Vivian Miller-Cody, seconded by Tim Carroll, and approved unanimously.

Movie: 4.c. ARWT Resolution (2.7M), 4. Resolutions

Here’s the video: Continue reading →

Valdosta passed resolution for Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail 2018-04-05

As scheduled, the resolution was introduced by Valdosta City Manager Mark Barber, moved by Council Vivian Miller-Cody, seconded by Tim Carroll, and approved unanimously. Mayor John Gayle then volunteered that despite the empty seats, which he attributed to spring break, they did have a quorum with four Council members and the Mayor.

Here’s the video, followed by the resolution: Continue reading →

Biggest city in Suwannee River Basin passed resolution for dedicated state fees @ VCC 2018-01-25

Hear it from the Mayor, Acting City Manager, and Council of Valdosta, Georgia, and just in time for them and the Lowndes County Chairman, Manager, and Commissioners to attend their annual Bird Supper in Atlanta to discuss it with state legislators: fees collected by the state of Georgia should be dedicated to the purposes for which they were collected. Below are LAKE videos are from the Valdosta City Council, Thursday, January 25, 2018, including a few words I said about which local governments already passed this resolution.