Gwinnett reports sewage spill

Lawrenceville, Ga., (May 8, 2008) – About 2,500 gallons of partially treated sewage from Gwinnett County’s Crooked Creek Water Reclamation Facility overflowed into a tributary of the Chattahoochee River earlier this year. Gwinnett’s Department of Water Resources, which owns and operates the plant located in an area near Holcomb Bridge Road and the river, reported the incident to the Georgia Environmental Protection Division. Any spill of untreated or partially treated sewage is considered an unpermitted discharge under EPD rules, regardless of size.

   The Crooked Creek facility serves a major portion of Gwinnett’s portion of the Chattahoochee River basin between the outskirts of Buford and the Holcomb Bridge Road area. 

   A clogged junction box on the plant site caused the spill, which occurred on Feb. 22, 2008. A junction box is analogous to a tee in a pipeline, which is used to combine or split flow in open channels used in a wastewater plant to move flow from one process to another. The spill occurred during a rain event causing little environmental harm because the stream’s increased flow diluted the spill. The operations staff unclogged the junction box, monitored the situation while returning the plant to normal operation. 

   On April 11, the EPD issued Gwinnett County a proposed expedited enforcement order, which includes a $1,500 penalty. In accordance with state law, the EPD will take public comment and finalize the order after reviewing any comments received. The Department of Water Resources intends to pay the penalty without objection.