After repeated sewer spills, DeKalb County takes aim at critical spot

For years, it has exemplified the worst of DeKalb County’s sewer problems.

Hood Circle in Decatur has been the site of 12 sewer spills since 2014, as thousands of gallons of sewage entered nearby creeks due to aging, deteriorating pipes. In a statement, the county called it one of the “most problematic sewer spill sites,” and a “source of frustration for residents in the area.”

Now, DeKalb hopes a $3.2 million project will stop those spills for good.

Credit: WSB-TV WSB-TV

Credit: WSB-TV WSB-TV

Beginning Oct. 21, the county Department of Watershed Management plans to repair or replace 2,400 feet of pipes in the area — some of which are nearly 80 years old. The project will also replace or rehab 18 manholes. The project is set to be completed in spring 2020.

It’s part of the county’s ongoing effort to restore its aging sewer system, which often leads to sanitary spills into creeks and rivers around DeKalb. That can pollute the water and cause public health risks, experts say.

For nearly a decade, the county has been in an agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Georgia’s Environmental Protection Division to rebuild its infrastructure and stop the repeated spills by 2020.

DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond acknowledged earlier this year that the county will not meet that 2020 deadline, and it could take an additional five years to fix the sewer issues.

The county has allocated $1.2 billion toward rehabilitating hundreds of miles of sewer pipes, officials said.

Follow DeKalb County News on Facebook and Twitter

In other news:

Authorities are investigating a??shooting that left a police K-9 injured and a suspect dead in Stone Mountain.

About the Author

As Atlanta’s new tree protection rules take shape, home builders push back

Atlanta officials indicated Thursday they are ready to move forward with a revamp of Atlanta’s tree protection rules, but developers are not pleased with the proposals.

Girl, 13, dies after tree falls on Atlanta home during heavy storms

A tree fell onto a home on Mims Street near Martin Luther King Jr. and Westview drives in southwest Atlanta on Saturday, according to a fire department spokesperson.