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DeKalb County: Major sewage spill reported in Brookhaven

After demonstrating the county's sewer cleaning efforts by sending a member down the manhole, they pull up the crew member from the sewer on June 28, 2017 in Dunwoody, GA. Chad Rhym/ Chad.Rhym@AJC.com

Credit: Chad Rhym

Credit: Chad Rhym

After demonstrating the county's sewer cleaning efforts by sending a member down the manhole, they pull up the crew member from the sewer on June 28, 2017 in Dunwoody, GA. Chad Rhym/ Chad.Rhym@AJC.com
By
Aug 18, 2017

A broken pipe created a major sewage spill in Brookhaven this week that polluted public waterways, according to DeKalb County's government.

County officials warned residents Friday to stay away from the waterway until further notice.

The spill occurred near Nancy Creek and Mill Creek Road. The county reported the spill Thursday to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Georgia Environmental Protection Division.

The spill was caused by a 10-inch diameter pipe that broke when erosion wore away soil that was supporting it, according to the county.

County workers are making repairs, and the extent of the spill is still being evaluated. It’s unclear how many gallons of sewage were spilled.

DeKalb is under a federal court order to upgrade its sewer system and reduce frequent spills.

The county has paid $924,000 in fines for spills to state and federal environmental regulatory agencies since 2011.

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About the Author

Mark Niesse covers Georgia government for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and is considered an expert on elections and voting. Before joining the AJC, he worked for The Associated Press in Atlanta, Honolulu and Montgomery, Alabama. He also reported for The Daily Report and The Santiago Times in Chile.

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