A pipe burst at Gainesville’s wastewater lift station No. 33 on Tuesday, spewing sewage into Squirrel Creek, a tributary of Lake Lanier.
The spill started around 7:25 p.m. and the Gainesville maintenance personnel turned the pump off around 20 minutes after the overflow began, according to the Gainesville Department of Water Resources.
After testing the water, officials determined that the water quality was “minimally impacted” and there was no sign of dead or stressed aquatic life. About 14,000 gallons, half of the spill, reached Squirrel Creek while the other half remained on site.
After cleanup, all conditions are back to normal, but the department will continue testing the creek for the next 12 months.
The station returned to normal operation by approximately 10 p.m.
