Photo Credit: Lee Becker

Oconee County has informed the Georgia Environmental Protection Division of yet another problem with the operation of its Calls Creek wastewater treatment facility. 

From 5–8 a.m. on Sept. 25, the plant released an estimated 50,000 gallons of discharge containing total suspended solids that exceeded the permitted level, according to the county’s report.

The county also acknowledged on Wednesday another violation of its permit for the Calls Creek facility based on data the county filed for operation of the plant in July. 

The July data showed the plant exceeded the permitted level of total suspended solids calculated on a weekly and monthly level during that reporting period.

Both the September and July spills are labeled as “major” by the EPD, and the county already had put into place a program of increased monitoring of the Calls Creek plant as a result of the July violation.

The two spills bring to eight the number of spills reported by the county for its sewage treatment facilities since the first of the year in addition to a spill of undetermined size and duration in April.

For more, visit Oconee County Observations.