A Hinesville sewer break, first reported at about 10 a.m. Thursday, resulted in more than 10,000 gallons of sewage spilling into Peacock Creek, according to Scott Southwick, an environmental engineer with the Georgia Environmental Protection Division out of Savannah.
Just after 3 p.m. Friday, city spokeswoman Krystal Britton said the main station that pumps sewage to the Hinesville-Fort Stewart wastewater treatment facility had been partially restored. Hinesville residents were told they could
return to normal indoor water usage.
The city requested Thursday that residents and businesses cut water use and the amount of liquid dumped into drains after pump station damage was reported.
“The city of Hinesville’s main wastewater pump station is partially restored. Hinesville water customers may return to normal indoor water usage,” Britton said. “Currently, we are still working on additional repairs and replacements; however, residents may return to normal indoor water usage habits.”
Water coming out of taps was never contaminated, according to Britton, who said a bypass system was implemented while the pumps were being repaired.
When the pumps at the main station first went down, sewage spilled into Peacock Creek, which flows into Cay Creek and runs passed Lewis Frasier Road, Southwick said. The EPD classified the Hinesville incident as a major spill, which means more than 10,000 gallons of sewage leaked out.
Because of the size of the spill, the city is required to keep tabs on the creek for awhile. “They will have to do stream monitoring,” Southwick said. “They will monitor upstream for the spill, and monitor the stream downstream of the spill so we can determine if there are any health hazards to natural (wild) life and make whatever kinds of corrections they need to do. They’ve embarked on that.”
Just after 3 p.m. Friday, city spokeswoman Krystal Britton said the main station that pumps sewage to the Hinesville-Fort Stewart wastewater treatment facility had been partially restored. Hinesville residents were told they could
return to normal indoor water usage.
The city requested Thursday that residents and businesses cut water use and the amount of liquid dumped into drains after pump station damage was reported.
“The city of Hinesville’s main wastewater pump station is partially restored. Hinesville water customers may return to normal indoor water usage,” Britton said. “Currently, we are still working on additional repairs and replacements; however, residents may return to normal indoor water usage habits.”
Water coming out of taps was never contaminated, according to Britton, who said a bypass system was implemented while the pumps were being repaired.
When the pumps at the main station first went down, sewage spilled into Peacock Creek, which flows into Cay Creek and runs passed Lewis Frasier Road, Southwick said. The EPD classified the Hinesville incident as a major spill, which means more than 10,000 gallons of sewage leaked out.
Because of the size of the spill, the city is required to keep tabs on the creek for awhile. “They will have to do stream monitoring,” Southwick said. “They will monitor upstream for the spill, and monitor the stream downstream of the spill so we can determine if there are any health hazards to natural (wild) life and make whatever kinds of corrections they need to do. They’ve embarked on that.”