Apparently whoever is responsible for a major spill into Georgia waters
needs to immediately tell GA EPD DNR and the local health department
and post a sign, and

the sewage leak at GA 133 into the Withlacoochee River
qualifies as a major spill.
The City of Valdosta reported it as such, but it’s not clear it was their spill (update: it was Lowndes County’s spill).
Excerpts below from GA DNR’s guidelines.
-jsq

Water Quality: A Guide for Municipal Compliance
by Mick Smith, Environmental Engineer.

Spills and Major Spills

Spill

• Any discharge of raw sewage < 10,000 gallons to waters of the state

Major Spill

• Any discharge of raw sewage > 10,000 gallons
  to waters of the state

• BOD₅
  or TSS = 1.5 x weekly avg. permit limit

• Any discharge resulting in a water quality
  violation

Waters of the State

• “any and all rivers,streams, creeks, branches,
  lakes, reservoirs, ponds, drainage systems,
  springs, wells, wetlands and all bodies of
  surface or subsurface water, natural or
  artificial, lying within or forming a part of the
  boundaries of the State which are not entirely
  confined and retained completely upon the
  property of a single individual, partnership or
  corporation”

Response to Spill

• 
  Immediately
  
  contact EPD by phone or in person.

• 
  Immediately
  
  report the spill to the local health Department.

• 
  Immediately
  
  post notice at spill site where spill occurred.

• 
  Within 24 hours
  
  of becoming aware of spill, report to local
  media date of spill, location, cause, volume discharged,
  receiving waters, and corrective actions taken to mitigate
  impact.

• 
  Within 5 days
  
  of spill submit written report to EPD concerning
  date of spill, location and cause, estimated volume and name
  of receiving waters, and corrective actions taken to mitigate
  impacts.

Response to Major Spill

• 
  Immediately
  
  contact EPD by phone or in person.

• 
  Immediately
  
  report the spill to the local health Department.

• 
  Immediately
  
  post notice at spill site where spill occurred.

• 
  Immediately
  
  establish year long monitoring program,
  upstream and downstream of major spill site to include:
  • Dissolved Oxygen

  • Fecal Coliform Bacteria

  • pH

  • Temperature

  • Additional parameters required by EPD

  • Typical frequency: every – day/week, week/month, month/year
• 
  Within 24 hours
  
  of becoming aware of spill, report to local
  media date of spill, location, cause, volume discharged,
  receiving waters, and corrective actions taken to mitigate
  impact.

• 
  Within 24 hours
  
  of becoming aware of the major spill
  provide notice to downstream public water supply
  withdrawal agencies within a 20 mile distance.

• 
  Within 5 days
  
  of spill submit written report to EPD concerning
  date of spill, location and cause, estimated volume and name
  of receiving waters, and corrective actions taken to mitigate
  impacts.

• 
  Within 7 days
  
  of the major spill publish notice in legal
  organ of county where the major spill occurred
  informing of date, location, cause, estimated volume
  and name of receiving waters, and corrective actions
  taken.