Tropical Storm Debby Results in Minor Spills

On August 6, 2024, the City of Valdosta, South Georgia and North Florida experienced Tropical Storm Debby, a Class 1 Hurricane system.  During this weather event the City saw rainfall from 3-6” in various areas. The volume of the rainfall in such a short duration overwhelmed certain drainage infrastructure, causing distress throughout the region. 

Due to the excessive rain, the City’s Sanitary Sewer and Stormwater Collection Systems were mostly overwhelmed. The Sanitary Sewer system experienced hydraulic overload, resulting in a few Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs) across the City. Hydraulic overload occurs when the flow rate of wastewater exceeds the sewer capacity, leading to backups or pressure relief through manholes, line breakage, or other events.  This overload was caused in part due to Infiltration/Inflow (I/I) where groundwater or other sources of water enter sanitary sewers and increasing/creating excess volume in the City’s Sanitary System.

 

City Utilities Divisions promptly responded to citizen calls regarding SSOs, documenting incidents and initiating sanitation efforts in affected areas. Citizens are urged to avoid contact with rivers, creeks, streams, or tributaries.

As of today, the following SSOs have been logged by city staff:

 

All required regulatory authorities and other requested entities have been notified of this issue. The City is following all required testing and monitoring of the affected waterways and will continue to do so per Georgia Environmental Protection Division regulations.

 

The City of Valdosta remains committed to preventing Sanitary Sewer overflows, dedicating significant resources to updating aging infrastructure, managing programs, and developing new action plans. For more information on these initiatives or to contribute, please contact the City of Valdosta Utilities Department, Environmental Division, at 229-259-3592.