Testing Shows Lookout Creek Water Back To Normal After Wastewater Spill

Testing in Lookout Creek has continued to show normal water levels after last month’s wastewater spill from the City of Trenton’s treatment plant, Mayor Alex Case said. The city will continue voluntary monitoring and waiting for final word from state environmental regulators.

Case said the city has been testing the creek after the April spill, with samples being checked by a third-party lab. He said samples are being taken near the plant’s discharge point as well as above and below the affected area of the creek.

“All the readings are coming back normal,” Case said.

The Georgia Environmental Protection Division said the spill did not meet the threshold for a “major spill” under state water quality rules. Katie Bloomfield, EPD’s director of external affairs, said state rules require one year of monitoring after a major spill, but that threshold would be 10,000 gallons in this case.

The estimated volume of the Trenton spill was between 4,000 and 8,000 gallons, Bloomfield said.

“Therefore, under state law, they are not required to monitor outside of their normal permit requirements,” Bloomfield said.

However, Bloomfield said the city agreed to conduct additional monitoring after the spill and after hearing concerns from local residents.

“Following the spill, and hearing the concerns from local citizens, the city did collaboratively agree with EPD to go ahead and initiate monitoring of the area upstream and downstream of the spill to ensure the area is meeting instream water quality standards,” Bloomfield said.

Case said the testing schedule has been adjusted because the outside lab does not operate on Saturdays, Sundays or holidays. He said EPD agreed to the modified schedule.

Case said the city has not yet received a final response from EPD, though the city expects there could be a fine connected to the spill, though no amount has been set.

The spill occurred after a problem at the treatment plant caused partially treated wastewater solids to enter Lookout Creek. City officials previously said the discharge was not raw sewage, but material from the treatment process known as floc. 

At the time, Case said workers were attempting to drain a clarifier back into the headworks of the plant while addressing a blockage, but the flow overwhelmed the system and caused material from the secondary treatment process to reach the creek.

Case said this week that a valve problem was the cause of the incident and that the valve has since been repaired.

“We did have a valve problem that caused this,” Case said. “That’s been repaired.”

Case said the city is also reviewing warning systems that could alert workers when levels are getting too high. He said that type of warning system was not in place when the spill occurred.

The longer-term solution, Case said, is tied to the city’s broader plan to modernize the wastewater treatment plant and improve how it processes solids.

Case said the city is preparing to seek financing through the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority for the next phase of plant improvements. He said the work would include equipment to process solids faster, along with upgrades to another pump station.

The need is especially clear during winter and wet weather, Case said. The plant currently relies in part on drying beds, which use heat, sun and air to help dry solids. During periods of rain, he said, those beds can become wet again and slow the process.

“The wintertime is when we back up tremendously because we don’t have sunny days,” Case said.

Case said the city hopes to submit its GEFA application in July. If approved, the project would then move toward the request-for-proposals process after final quotes and project details are complete.