City of Savannah crews responded to a minor sewage spill at 2404 Dean Forest Road Monday. The spill was the result of an overflowing manhole caused by a defect in the sanitary sewer main and a blockage that resulted from a damaged manhole and “parts that dropped into the sewer main,” city officials report. The total volume discharged was 2,440 gallons, which is classified as a minor spill under Georgia Environmental Protection Division guidelines, which specify spills under 10,000 gallons as minor.
Savannah water and sewer crews were notified of the spill at 12:58 p.m. and corrected it by 3:10 p.m., city officials reported. Vacuum trucks removed sewage from the affected area. A contractor excavated and repaired the damaged manhole top/ring and sewer main defect and removed manhole parts and stoppage from the main. This excavation required coordination with the electric utility to protect a nearby power pole. The spill was further mitigated by removing and pumping contaminated water into a lift station that pumped it to the treatment plant. Affected areas of the spill were covered with lime. Spill notifications were posted at Pipemaker’s Canal/Highway 21 and Pipemakers Canal/Highway 17.
All agencies required by the State EPD were notified.