VALDOSTA — Heavy rains last week caused overflows in Valdosta that “overwhelmed” the sewage system, the city said.
A line of thunderstorms that moved through Lowndes County late Thursday dumped as much as nine inches of rain on parts of the county, a statement from the county said.
An overload in Valdosta’s sewer system was caused in part by groundwater entering sewers and creating “excess volume” in the system, the statement said.
Overflows logged by the city include:
— Three overflows at 1402 N. Lee St., ranging from 40,500 gallons to 150,000 gallons;
— 1212 Wainwright Drive, 150,000 gallons;
— 2509 Seymour Street, 900 gallons;
— 1817 Gornto Road, 60,000 gallons;
— 1825 Norman Drive, 1,200 gallons; and
— 213 Knob Hill, 108,000 gallons.
In addition, the Withlacoochee River Water Pollution Control Plant suffered a spill of 6.7 million gallons from April 12-14, the city said. The spill was about 20% sewage and 80% groundwater.
“The city sewer collection system is still in a state of hydraulic overload and the Withlacoochee Plant is receiving that groundwater;” the city’s statement said. “Utilities personnel are still working around the clock to manage the inundated collection system.”
All relevant regulatory bodies have been notified of the spills, and Valdosta is doing all required testing and monitoring of affected waterways.
“The City of Valdosta continues to dedicate significant resources into preventing Sanitary Sewer overflows,” the city said. “Currently the Utilities department is not only updating aging infrastructure but also managing a multitude of programs and developing new plans of action to limit and prevent sanitary sewer overflows in the City of Valdosta.”