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1.3 million gallon sewage spill in DeKalb took 2 weeks to locate

Contractors for DeKalb County were repairing large sewer pipes near Snapfinger Creek on Monday, Oct. 2, 2017. The pipes burst in August, spilling 6.4 million gallons of sewage. MARK NIESSE / MARK.NIESSE@AJC.COM
Contractors for DeKalb County were repairing large sewer pipes near Snapfinger Creek on Monday, Oct. 2, 2017. The pipes burst in August, spilling 6.4 million gallons of sewage. MARK NIESSE / MARK.NIESSE@AJC.COM
By
Jan 20, 2018

Over the course of two weeks, an estimated 1.3 million gallons of sewage flowed into Shoal Creek at Glenwood Hills Park in Decatur.

County watershed analysts noted heightened levels of fecal matter downstream on Jan. 4, CEO Mike Thurmond said Saturday. The source of the spill wasn’t located until Friday and the berm surrounding the pipe was built up to contain it.

Large sewage spills in DeKalb have been blamed on an aging and neglected watershed system that the county is working to address.

This post has been updated.

About the Author

Tia Mitchell is the AJC’s Washington Bureau Chief and a co-host of the "Politically Georgia" podcast. She writes about Georgia’s congressional delegation, campaigns, elections and the impact that decisions made in D.C. have on residents of the Peach State.

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