The remnants of Tropical Storm Fred have arrived in metro Atlanta — and in DeKalb County that likely means plenty of sewer spills are to come.
County officials are asking residents to help them out and report any indication of spills as soon as they see them. They can call 770-270-6243 any time, 24 hours a day.
“Stormwater intrusion into the sewer system is a major source of overflows and spills in our county,” DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond said in a news release.
DeKalb’s aging sewer network is susceptible to spills during heavy rain events because stormwater enters the system through cracks and other imperfections, forcing sewage back out. That sewage often spills into local waterways, presenting public health and ecological concerns by spreading bacteria like E. coli.
The county has been under a federal consent decree to make major fixes to its sewer system since 2011; a renegotiated consent decree, which would give the county a seven-year extension to complete repairs, is currently awaiting approval by a U.S. District Court judge.
While the county is asking residents to report anything they see, it also has its own flow monitoring system to detect spills. A news release said county crews were preparing for the impact of Tropical Storm Fred by deploying additional staff; fueling generators, vehicles and other equipment; and putting contractors on standby to provide additional resources if necessary.
“Teams of employees are sent out immediately after major storms,” the news release said. “Teams are also inspecting stream rights-of-way and sampling water to identify spills so remediation can begin as soon as possible.”
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