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.
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!
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