Gainesville officials Wednesday said gravel from a nearby construction site is believed to be the cause of a wastewater discharge on Balus Creek.
The roughly 35,000 gallon spill was discovered through weekly creek inspections and sampling by a city department of water resources environmental compliance inspector, according to a news release.
The inspector collected a sample of water from the creek on Old Oakwood Road Monday. During the 24-hour analysis, one of the tests indicated a high fecal level.
"When staff returned to further investigate on the morning of May 3 (Wednesday), they found a sewer manhole overflowing upstream of the sampling site," the release stated.
Crews removed the apparent gravel obstruction, and flow was returned to normal around 11:25 a.m. Wednesday. They also spread lime on the ground to minimize odor in the area of the manhole, according to the city.
"Signs have been posted as required by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division informing the public not to enter the water near the site for seven days," officials said in the release.
The city notified Hall County Environmental Health, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Georgia Environmental Protection Division.
