{"id":63,"date":"2013-03-03T12:29:53","date_gmt":"2013-03-03T17:29:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2013\/03\/withlacoochee-wastewater-woes-for-valdosta-and-lowndes-county.html"},"modified":"2013-03-03T12:29:53","modified_gmt":"2013-03-03T17:29:53","slug":"withlacoochee-wastewater-woes-for-valdosta-and-lowndes-county","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2013\/03\/withlacoochee-wastewater-woes-for-valdosta-and-lowndes-county.html","title":{"rendered":"Withlacoochee Wastewater Woes for Valdosta and Lowndes County"},"content":{"rendered":"

\nAP picked up the story about flooding at Valdosta's Withlacoochee\nwasterwater treatment plant, citing the VDT and the City\nas sources.\nThe City of Valdosta thinks the County should contribute to replacing the plant,\nor maybe the legislature will authorize a municipal option sales tax (MOST).\n<\/p>\nAP in GPBNews 1 March 2013,\n\nValdosta Treatment Plant Floods<\/a>,\n

\n
\n\n<\/a>\n
\nAuthorities shut down a Valdosta wastewater treatment plant as a river flooded critical buildings and structures. The city estimates an average of 5 million to 6 million gallons of untreated sewage will discharge daily into the Withlacoochee River until the flood waters recede and the plant can resume operation. (Photo Courtesy of John S. Quarterman via Flickr<\/a>.)\n<\/td><\/tr><\/table>\n
\nVALDOSTA, Ga. \u2014\n

\nAuthorities shut down a south Georgia wastewater treatment plant as a\nriver flooded critical buildings and structures.\n<\/p>\n

\nValdosta city officials said power at the plant was shut down\nThursday to prevent further damage to equipment and control systems.\n<\/p>\n

\nThe city estimates an average of 5 million to 6 million gallons of\nuntreated sewage will discharge daily into the Withlacoochee River\nuntil the flood waters recede and the plant can resume operation.\n<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\nThe AP story continues, but let's cut to the sources.\n<\/p>\n\n\n
\n

\nValdosta News 28 February 2013,\n\nPublic Notice of Major Spill<\/a>,\n<\/p>\n

\nOver the two day period of Feb. 22-27, 2013, the Valdosta area\nreceived 8 to 10 inches of rain. Inflow and infiltration of\nstormwater into the sanitary sewer collection system have caused\nhigh flow conditions at the wastewater treatment plants. The high\nflow at the Withlacoochee Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP)\ncaused a hydraulic overload of the secondary system with a resulting\nloss of secondary solids into the plant effluent. As stated in\nyesterday's public notice, this condition is expected to continue\nuntil the Withlacoochee River drops below flood level.\n<\/p>\n

\nThe total suspended solids result from the effluent sample collected\non February 26th was 290 milligrams per liter. This is greater than\n1.5 times the seven day average allowed by the National Pollutant\nDischarge Elimination System (NPDES) permit, which constitutes a\nmajor spill. The volume of the major spill into the Withlacoochee\nRiver is the total flow for Feb. 26, which is 15,173,000 gallons. As\nstated previously, we expect the treatment plant to remain in\nviolation until the River levels drop below flood conditions.\n<\/p>\n

\nSome manholes along the Withlacoochee Interceptor line and trunk\nlines feeding the interceptor are now under flood water. Inflow from\nthe flood will continue to cause high flow at the treatment plant\nuntil the flood waters recede.\n<\/p>\n

\nThe City of Valdosta is currently having a system of pump stations\nand force mains designed that will replace the existing 52\u201d\ngravity main that runs along the river basin to deliver flow to the\nWithlacoochee WPCP. This will greatly reduce the effects of river\nflooding on the collection system. The City is also having a new\nheadworks facility and equalization basin designed for the\nWithlacoochee WPCP that will reduce the effect of inflow and\ninfiltration on the plant processes. Both of these designs are 60%\ncomplete.\n<\/p>\n

\nDuring the federally declared disaster flood of 2009, one-third of\nthe Withlacoochee facility was under flood waters. The City of\nValdosta plans to move the facility to a higher elevation to prevent\nfuture flooding. This move will allow the plant to be completely\nredesigned and re-built.\n<\/p>\n

\nThese three projects should remove the potential for hydraulic\noverflow due to inflow and infiltration in the future. The City of\nValdosta is currently seeking revenue sources to allow the\ncompletion of these necessary projects.\n<\/p>\n

\nUpstream and downstream sampling of the Withlacoochee River has\nstarted. If you need further information please contact\nEnvironmental Manager John Waite at (229) 259-3592 or at\njwaite@valdostacity.com.\n<\/p>\n<\/td><\/tr><\/table>\n

\n

\nValdosta News 28 February 2013,\n\nWithlacoochee WPCP Off Line Until Waters Recede<\/a>\n<\/p>,\n

\n

\nOn Feb. 28, 2013, at approximately 9 a.m., the Withlacoochee\nWastewater Pollution Control Plant (WPCP) was taken off line as the\nWithlacoochee River continued to rise and began flooding critical\nbuildings and structures at this facility. Power to these buildings\nand structures was shut off to prevent further damage to equipment\nand associated electrical and control systems. As a result, an\nestimated 5 to 6 million gallons of untreated sewage will be\ndischarging directly into the river each day until the flood waters\nrecede and the treatment plant can be returned to normal operation.\n<\/p>\n

\nIt is expected that sewer service to customers in this facility's\nservice area will continue uninterrupted. However, it is possible\nthat some customers in extreme low lying areas could experience\nslower than normal flow into the sewer system. Signs have been\nposted along the river, and citizens should avoid fishing, boating,\nswimming or any contact with river water until the flood waters\nrecede and the treatment plant returns to normal operation.\n<\/p>\n

\nUpstream and downstream bacteriological sampling has been ongoing\nand will continue until the emergency is over.\n<\/p>\n

\nFor more information, contact Environmental Manager John Waite at\n(229) 259-3592 or at jwaite@valdostacity.com.\n<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\nJason Schaefer\nwrote for the VDT 28 February 2013,\n\nWithlacoochee\nflooding causes major treatment plant spill:\nSafety hazards expected to continue until waters recede<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\n

\nThe eight to 10 inches of rain coupled with rainwater from upstream\ncaused the Withlacoochee River to swell to high flow conditions\nWednesday afternoon, causing a major wastewater spill at the\nWithlacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant.\n<\/p>\n

\nAt the plant, floodwaters continued to rise and encroach onto plant\nproperty Wednesday afternoon, causing inflow of an effluent pipe\nthat runs downhill into the river. Workers on scene guessed the\nfloodwaters were rising at about four to six inches per hour, and\nthey did not expect them to recede soon.\n<\/p>\n

\nThe City expects inflow into the system and the major spill of\nwastewater to continue until the floodwaters recede, according to a\nstatement from the office of the City Manager.\n<\/p>\n

\nThe waters should rise another seven feet in the next two to three\ndays, reaching levels about the same as those experienced during the\n2009 flood, according to Utilities Director Henry Hicks.\n<\/p>\n

\n\n<\/a>\nThe inflow has placed low-lying portions of the sewer system and\nplant completely underwater, spreading contaminants into the river.\nWhile Valdosta's drinking water will not be affected by the\nconditions, swimming, fishing and boating along the river have been\ndeemed unsafe until the river recedes.\n<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\nThe VDT story goes on about how it will be almost as bad as the flood of 2009,\nand the city needs to replace the 40-year-old plant, adding:\n<\/p>\n

\n

\nThe city is hoping to rebuild and relocate the plant as it is now\n\n<\/a>\noperating outside limits set for water quality. City officials are\nin negotiations with county officials to split a potential SPLOST to\ngive the city a much larger percentage of the money that would be\ncollected from the one cent tax.\n<\/p>\n

\nThe City has also worked through the local legislative delegation to\nsee if they can put a MOST, or municipal option sales tax, on the\nballot in November or next year, in case SPLOST fails again or the\ncounty and other municipalities are unwilling to donate a portion of\ntheir share to the city.\n<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\nIt is curious how Valdosta seems always wanting the county to\ndonate to the city.\nHowever, Lowndes County may want to remember that much of the county is\ndownstream of that plant, not to mention parts of Florida.\n<\/p>\n

\nThe story continues.\n<\/p>\n

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