Tag Archives: Wainwright Drive

Sewer System Repairs and Water Quality Testing by Valdosta Utilities 2025-10-21

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Update 2025-10-24: Clean Santa Fe and Alapaha Rivers and Withlacoochee Downstream; Problem Sugar Creek 2025-10-22.

Two kinds of good news today on the telephone with Valdosta Utilities Director Jason Barnes:

  1. They’re making progress on the manholes and the sewer line at Wainwright Drive on One Mile Branch, and they’re posting that progress online.
  2. They did test Sugar Creek this week, and they will test again the next two weeks. The results are not great, and they are considering further tests until the results decrease to acceptable levels.

[Sewer System Repairs and Water Quality Testing by Valdosta Utilities, 2025-10-21]
Sewer System Repairs and Water Quality Testing by Valdosta Utilities, 2025-10-21

Valdosta Utilities is posting updates to on-going projects here:
https://www.valdostacity.com/utilities/administration

You can get there from valdostacity.com via Departments in the main menu, then Utilities, then Administration.

These are basically the slides Jason Barnes presented to the Florida River Task Force on August 14, 2025. Plus updates.

Slide 10 of 11 shows among other things “Remer 30″ Phase 1,” which is to replace the problem stretch of sewer line running to the notorious Wainwright Road manhole. This project has already started. Continue reading →

Radio: WWALS River Revue and Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest, Scott James Radio 2025-09-04

In which Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson revealed that the City of Valdosta plans to double the size of the catch basin at its Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Also this morning on talk921.com, Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman complimented the city on finally fixing one of the chronically-sewage-spewing manholes at Wainwright Drive on One Mile Branch.

Come on down this Saturday evening, 5-9 PM, for WWALS River Revue and the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest at the Turner Center for the Arts, Valdosta, Georgia.

That’s $65 per person. There are also a few complimentary Educator tickets and $25 Musician tickets available if you contact us quickly.

[WWALS River Revue and Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest, Scott James Radio, talk921.com 2025-09-04]
WWALS River Revue and Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest, Scott James Radio, talk921.com 2025-09-04

Here are WWALS videos of the main discussions on the radio this morning, followed by a WWALS video playlist. I’ve added some links to writeups on the topics discussed. And the playlist starts slightly out of order with the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest. Continue reading →

Better Withlacoochee River, Worse Sugar Creek 2025-09-01

Update 2025-09-05: Clean Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers 2025-09-04.

It appears that the high E. coli incident that started Friday due to rain on Valdosta has gotten diluted or washed downstream. The predicted rain for Monday and Tuesday did not happen, so chances are the results will keep getting better.

No new sewage spills have been reported in the past week in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida.

So, going by the test results we have, happy paddling, motoring, fishing, and swimming, as long as you avoid the Withlacoochee River from Sugar Creek to US 84.

[Worse Sugar Creek 2025-03-31, Better Withlacoochee River 2025-09-02, In Valdosta Utilities test results, Per Valdosta Utilities and WWALS]
Worse Sugar Creek 2025-03-31, Better Withlacoochee River 2025-09-02, In Valdosta Utilities test results, Per Valdosta Utilities and WWALS

Valdosta Utilities has completed the seven days of testing after a major spill required by GA-EPD. That ended Sunday, August 31, with much worse water quality at Gornto Road on Sugar Creek, 3,800 cfu/100 mL E. coli, which is almost 4 times the 1,000 alert limit. See: Continue reading →

New manhole at Wainwright Drive on One Mile Branch 2025-08-31

Update 2025-09-03: Better Withlacoochee River, Worse Sugar Creek 2025-09-01.

Congratulations to Valdosta Utilities for taking action on a chronic sewage spill location!

Scotti Jay reported Sunday that he had noticed that morning an excavator at the Wainwright Drive manhole on One Mile Branch, where spills continue into Sugar Creek and the Withlacoochee River.

Scotti wrote, “Upon a closer look, the old manhole is gone. A new, updated and uplifted manhole now exists. I will wait to celebrate after the next storm. Strangely, the pine tree, whose roots were a problem in the old manhole, is also still there. So, let’s hope it holds water.”

[New manhole, Wainwright Drive, One Mile Branch, 2025-08-31]
New manhole, Wainwright Drive, One Mile Branch, 2025-08-31

Monday, Sara Jay sent a picture, attributed as a “screenshot from the Ring doorbell camera online community.” If anybody know a more precise source, please let us know. Continue reading →

Filthy Creeks and Withlacoochee River 2025-08-29

Update 2025-09-03: Better Withlacoochee River, Worse Sugar Creek 2025-09-01.

Update 2025-09-02: New manhole at Wainwright Drive on One Mile Branch 2025-08-31.

All too high: One Mile Branch, Hightower Creek, and the Withlacoochee River, upstream and down.

The worst result in Valdosta Utilities’ Friday water quality results was at North Valdosta Road (US 41), upstream from most of Valdosta.

All were above the 1,000 cfu/100 mL alert limit.

No new sewage spills were reported in the past week for the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida.

There’s a 30% chance of rain today, then mostly sunny Monday and Tuesday.

Friday I said I wasn’t doing daily water quality reports after good Thursday results, but we’d best not ignore these

This is a prime example of why frequent water quality testing, especially by the City of Valdosta, is very useful. Nobody would have known about this contamination without these tests.

I’d avoid the Withlacoochee River for a few days at least, for paddling, fishing, swimming, or boating. Try the Alapaha or the Suwannee River upstream from the Withlacoochee, or farther downstream, or the Santa Fe or Ichetucknee.

[Filthy Creeks and Withlacoochee River after rain, 2025-08-29]
Filthy Creeks and Withlacoochee River after rain, 2025-08-29

Or join us Monday, September 1, 2025, for Little River Labor Day Paddle, Reed Bingham St Pk West Ramp 2025-09-01.

Thanks to Valdosta Utilities for posting their test results on their website, even on a holiday Saturday. So far as I know, Valdosta is the only wastewater permit holder in Georgia that puts its water quality results on its own web pages.
https://www.valdostacity.com/utilities/river-stream-water-quality-data/august-2025-sanitary-sewer-spills Continue reading →

Clean Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers, Bad Sugar Creek, Worse Hightower Creek 2025-08-28

Update 2025-08-31: Filthy Creeks and Withlacoochee River 2025-08-29.

The Withlacoochee River remains clean upstream and down in test results for yesterday by Valdosta and FDOH. One Mile Branch showed less E. coli. Sugar Creek remained bad. Hightower Creek jumped up above the 1,000 alert limit.

The Alapaha River tested clean, but the Town of Alapaha’s wastewater outflow could be better, according to results by WWALS tester Heather Brasell.

[Clean Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers 2025-08-28, Bad Sugar Creek, Worse Hightower Creek]
Clean Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers 2025-08-28, Bad Sugar Creek, Worse Hightower Creek

No new sewage spills were reported in the past week for the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida.

Rain is very likely Saturday, decreasing into next week.

So happy paddling, fishing, swimming, and boating, although I’d steer clear of Sugar Creek.

The Florida agencies are ceasing testing, the WWALS results are posted for this week, and you now know where to look for Valdosta’s results. So this concludes this week’s WWALS Water Quality Test Reports.

Here is the WWALS composite spreadsheet with all these results, plus rainfall: Continue reading →

Stopped Sewage Spill, Wainwright Drive, One Mile Branch, Valdosta, GA 2025-08-24

Scotti Jay updated around 1 PM today, “Wainwright still spewing sewage a day later. Lid popped. No warning signs. No lime. No response team. Only a press release stating the city found the leak.”

Scotti added, “A city truck pulled up. I told him it’s still spewing. Asked when they were going to put up signs. His only response was ‘Thanks for letting us know.’”

Valdosta posted midafternoon: “Update as of August 24, 2025, 3:30 p.m.: The overflow has stopped. It is estimated that approximately 20,000 gallons of stormwater diluted wastewater to the adjacent creek. All required agencies have been notified.”

[Stopped Sewage Spill, Wainwright Drive, One Mile Branch, Valdosta, GA 2025-08-24]
Stopped Sewage Spill, Wainwright Drive, One Mile Branch, Valdosta, GA 2025-08-24

So that’s a bit less than 27 hours after Scotti Jay reported the spill to the city at 12:50 PM yesterday. Sort of quick. Better than in many previous years.

20,000 gallons is twice a major spill. Not good.

Still no warning signs. Also not good.

This is the same Wainwright Drive manhole that has spilled repeatedly over many years. Continue reading →

Sewage Spill, Wainwright Drive, One Mile Branch, Valdosta, GA 2025-08-23

Update 2025-08-24: Stopped Sewage Spill, Wainwright Drive, One Mile Branch, Valdosta, GA 2025-08-24.

Scotti Jay reports, “Active sewage spill at Wainwright Dr neglected manhole. Aug 23, 2025 12p.m.”

[Active sewage spill, Wainwright Drive 2025-08-23, One Mile Branch, Yet again]
Active sewage spill, Wainwright Drive 2025-08-23, One Mile Branch, Yet again

Scotti says he reported it to Valdosta Utilities at 12:50 PM.

I called Utilities Director Jason Barnes at 1:00 PM. He said he would send someone over there right now.

This is the same Wainwright Drive manhole that has spilled repeatedly over many years. The sewage goes directly into One Mile Branch, which runs into Sugar Creek, then into the Withlacoochee River. Continue reading →

WTXL on Wainwright Drive One Mile Branch sewage spill 2025-08-05

Update 2025-08-08: Clean Alapaha River 2025-08-03, Dirty Creeks 2025-08-06, Withlacoochee River Clean downstream 2025-08-07.

I’ve added some information to Malia’s report, so you’ll know what she was looking at.

Malia Thomas, WTXL, 2025-08-05, Valdosta sewage spill renews concern after second overflow hits creek in under a month: Another sewage spill near Sugar Creek sparks urgency as Valdosta faces decades-old infrastructure strain

VALDOSTA, GA. (WTXL) — Another sewer spill in Valdosta—this time small, but still stirring concern.

[Wainwright Drive sewage spill on WTXL TV 2025-08-05, into One Mile Branch, at site of many previous spills]
Wainwright Drive sewage spill on WTXL TV 2025-08-05, into One Mile Branch, at site of many previous spills

  • Monday’s spill released up to 1,000 gallons into Sugar Creek [actually, into One Mile Branch, which flows to Sugar Creek, then the Withlacoochee River to the Suwannee -jsq], which connects to the Suwannee River system.
  • Since April 2024, over 409,000 gallons of raw sewage have spilled from the same Wainwright Dr. location.
  • Watch the video to hear from neighbors and the city’s plan of action.
Continue reading →

Pictures: Another Clean up One Mile Branch at Azalea City Trail, Valdosta, GA 2025-04-26

We got quite a bit of trash off of Wainwright Drive, One Mile Branch, and the Azalea City Trail, including near the old trash dump across Hurricane-Helene-damaged fence.

[Clean up One Mile Branch, at Azalea City Trail, Wainwright Drive, Valdosta, GA, April 26, 2025]
Clean up One Mile Branch, at Azalea City Trail, Wainwright Drive, Valdosta, GA, April 26, 2025

The land beyond One Mile Branch left bank, Azalea City Trail, and the fence is owned by University System of GA Board of Regents.

There were children playing in One Mile Branch, including right below the manholes that have repeatedly leaked massive amounts of raw sewage.

One Mile Branch runs into Sugar Creek into the Withlacoochee River.

Thanks to Sara Squires Jones and Scotti Jay for organizing this cleanup.

For more Continue reading →