9000 gallons of sewage reported spilled into Rake Straw Creek

WTGA reports spills from incident files uploaded to the Georgia EPD Public Complaints portal.  Oil, diesel, gas, hazardous materials and sewage spills are posted by the date received, however these are not available to the public until the incident response is complete and the file is closed.  Each week WTGA searches thirty days back for new spill reports added to the database and lists them here by watershed area, including: 

• Spills of petroleum products of 40 gallons or more,
• spills of any amount impacting water
• spills of any amount of toxic contaminants

These incidents are listed by the watershed in which they occurred.  ­

Spills marked with asterisk * are tracked with state and/or EPA authorities for more information.  See the CrimeBox for details on violations and charges under the Clean Water Act.

Gulf of Mexico Flows

1 Gulf North

1a Tennessee River Watershed

The Tennessee River collects rainfall and runoff for the Ohio River system, which joins the Mississippi and empties out into the Gulf of Mexico.  While no part of the Tennessee River itself passes through Georgia, there are tributary creeks originating in north Georgia that cross the state line and join up with Tennessee waters.

Spills (0 new)

• No spill records found for the search period Dec 16 to Jan 16, 2023

1b Coosa River Watershed

The Coosa River is a collection of several tributary rivers gathered from northwest Georgia.  At the beginnings of this system, the Conasauga River and Coosawattee Rivers join up to form the Oostanaula River.  The Oostanaula in turn joins flow with Etowah River system to form the Coosa River.  The Coosa runs west into Alabama where it merges with the Tallapoosa River across the state line in Alabama, forming the Alabama River, eventually reaching the Gulf of Mexico. 

(Confusion alert** Watch for another river by the same name (Chattooga) in northeast Georgia! These two are not the same.)

Spills (2 new)

Jan 5^th – 9000 gallons of sewage reported spilled into Rake Straw Creek due to clogged pumps – no fish kill noted-  Hiram – Paulding  County – File closed Jan 17 *

Dec 16 – unknown amounts of raw sewage reported running into Cheatem Creek from the Polo Golf and Country Club Wastewater Treatment Plant in Cumming – Forsyth County –– File closed Jan 17 *

1c Tallapoosa River Watershed

The Tallapoosa River originates in northwest Georgia, draining an area of Paulding and Haralson counties before crossing the state line and joining the Coosa River, forming the Alabama River.

Spills (0 new)

• No spill records found for the search period Dec 16 to Jan 16, 2023

2 Gulf West

2a Chattahoochee River Watershed

The Chattahoochee headwaters form up near Helen in northeast Georgia, in the Appalachian Mountains.  From Union County, the Chattahoochee flows southwest through the capital Atlanta, and then south, forming the state border with Alabama, terminating in Lake Seminole.

Spills (5 new)

Jan 5^th – Sewage spill reported on Pine Hill Dr in Decatur due to heavy rainfall event – Amount to be determined – File closed Jan 18

Jan 5^th – Sewage spill reported on Childerlee Lane in Atlanta due to heavy rainfall event – Amount to be determined – File closed Jan 18

Jan 4^th – Sewage spill reported on Thrasher Circle in Decatur due to rainfall event – Shoal Creek affected – File closed Jan 18 *

Jan 4^th – Sewage spill reported on Second Ave in Decatur due to rainfall event– Sugar Creek affected – File closed Jan 18 *

Jan 4^th – Sewage spill reported on Warbler Dr in Decatur due to heavy rainfall event – Cobbs Creek affected – File closed Jan 18 *

2b Flint River Watershed

The Flint River originates south of Atlanta and gathers run-off from 7570 sq miles of Georgia as it traverses the course north to south, flowing west through Alabama to empty in the Gulf of Mexico.

Spills (0 new)

• No spill records found for the search period Dec 16 to Jan 16, 2023

3  Gulf Southwest    

3a Ochlockonee River Basin

Ochlockonee River originates in Worth County in southwest Georgia.  The Ochlockonee catchment area drains a combined 1400 plus square miles of Georgia landscape before exiting into Florida and emptying into the Gulf of Mexico. Main use is for fishing. Two smaller and separate watersheds within the Ochlockonee basin, the Aucilla and Wards Creek each have their separate channels directly dumping into the Gulf of Mexico (not monitored).  The main tributary rivers and creeks are the Little Ochlockonee River, Tired Creek, Telogia Creek and Crooked River (not monitored).

Spills (0 new)

• No spill records found for the search period Dec 16 to Jan 16, 2023

3b Suwannee River Watershed

The Suwanee River originates in the Okefenokee Wilderness, between State Hwy 122 and Valdosta Highway.  The blackwater Suwannee and its major tributaries, the Willacoochee, Withlacoochee, Alapaha and Little Rivers channel run-off from more than 5000 sq miles from parts of twenty counties in Georgia before crossing over into Florida to empty into the Gulf of Mexico.

Spills (0 new)

• No spill records found for the search period Dec 16 to Jan 16, 2023

4 Atlantic Central

4a Oconee River Watershed

The Oconee headwaters form in Hall County, flowing southeast through Middle and North Oconee Channels to form the Oconee River below Athens.  From here the system flows into Lake Oconee, formed by the Wallace Dam and Sinclair Lake formed by the Sinclair Dam.  The Oconee flows down from the dams to its confluence Ocmulgee River, eventually emptying into the Atlantic.

Spills (0 new)

• No spill records found for the search period Dec 16 to Jan 16, 2023

4b Ocmulgee River Watershed

Ocmulgee River originates at Jackson Lake, straddling Jasper, Newton and Butts Counties.  The Ocmulgee flows south to join the Oconee River, forming the Altamaha River.  Jackson Lake is fed by three rivers: South, Yellow and Alcovy Rivers originating in Central Georgia, all part of the Ocmulgee Watershed area.

Spills (3 new)

Jan 5^th – sewage spill reported in Lithonia on Meadow Creek Path due to heavy rainfall event  – amount to be determined – File closed Jan 18

Jan 5^th – sewage spill reported in Atlanta on Tilley Mill Rd due to heavy rainfall event – amount to be determined – File closed Jan 18

Jan 4^th – Sewage spill reported on Brookfield Lane in Decatur due to heavy rainfall event – Shoal Creek affected – File closed Jan 18 *

4c Altamaha River Watershed

The combined flows of the Oconee River system and the Ocmulgee River system form the Altamaha, “the largest free flowing river on the East coast”, according to the Georgia River Network.

Spills (0 new)

• No spill records found for the search period Dec 16 to Jan 16, 2023

4d Satilla River Watershed

The Satilla River forms in Ben Hill County, flows south 200 miles to the Atlantic Ocean.

Hazardous Algae Blooms (HABs) Beach Alerts (0)

Spills (0 new)

• No spill records found for the search period Dec 16 to Jan 16, 2023

4e St. Marys River Watershed

St. Marys is a blackwater river originating in the Okefenokee Wilderness area, southcentral Georgia.  The river flows 130 miles and empties into Cumberland Sound in the Atlantic.

Hazardous Algae Blooms/Beach Alerts (0 active)

Spills (0 new)

• No spill records found for the search period Dec 16 to Jan 16, 2023

Atlantic East

5a Savannah River Watershed

The Savannah River originates in South Carolina, formed with the combined flows of the Tugaloo, itself formed by the joining of Chattooga and Tallulah Rivers, and the Seneca River.  The Savannah flows through east Georgia to its outlet at the Atlantic Ocean, taking run-off from an area of 5800 square miles in Eastern Georgia.

Spills (0 new)

• No spill records found for the search period Dec 16 to Jan 16, 2023

5b Ogeechee River Watershed

The Ogeechee is a free flowing blackwater river draining an area of 5540 sq miles entirely inside the state of Georgia.  The North and South Fork Ogeechee Rivers (not monitored) come together to form the Ogeechee, which flows 245 miles and empties in the Atlantic. 

Spills (0 new)

• No spill records found for the search period Dec 16 to Jan 16, 2023

As per EPA Oil Discharge Reporting Requirements,

the reportable amount of spilled oil product is any amount that leaves a visible sheen on the surface, or a sludge at the bottom of the water body. 

• Such spills are to be reported immediately (within 15 minutes)
• 1-800-241-4113 Georgia EPD 24 hour Emergency Operations Center
• Spills from a vessel into navigable waterways
• National Response Center (NRC) at 1-800-424-8802
• 24-hour emergency line staffed by US Coast Guard
• All spills should be cleaned up, whether or not they are reportable.
• From Georgia EPD Emergency Operations Centre, “oil” includes but is not limited to: gasoline, crude oil, fuel oil, diesel oil, lubricating oil, sludge, oil refuse, oil mixed with wastes, and any other petroleum related product.
• Accidental discharges of oil during maintenance of one’s own personal vehicle or farm machinery shall be exempt from the reporting requirement.