It is estimated that 72,000 gallons of wastewater was discharged into the stormwater system affecting a canal that is a tributary of Sterling Creek Jan. 12, according to a press release from the city of Richmond Hill.

The rest of the public notification release, required by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, is below.

The immediate impact of the spill is to the drainage system leading to Sterling Creek. Due to the nature of the city’s drainage configuration and location of the line break, it was determined that there are minimal waters affected that reached the Ogeechee River. The spill was contained and mitigated all within the municipal storm system.

The cause was from a large crack in the bottom of a force main pipe.

The immediate response to the discharge was the replacement of the broken pipe. As an added effort to mitigate the impact, two staging areas are actively recovering stormwater from the affected canal and the water is being returned to the collection system for appropriate treatment. The affected land has been treated with calcium hydroxide to neutralize the soil. Continuous testing will be conducted downstream and upstream from the location to reconfirm all initial test results.