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Nearly 9K gallons of sewage spills in Gwinnett, enters creek tributary

Nearly 9,000 gallons of sewage spilled from a manhole in Gwinnett County.
Nearly 9,000 gallons of sewage spilled from a manhole in Gwinnett County.
By Amanda C. Coyne
April 6, 2017

Nearly 9,000 gallons of sewage spilled from a manhole in Snellville on Wednesday as Gwinnett County was being hit with severe thunderstorms.

The spill began shortly before 11:20 a.m. and was stopped at 1:05 p.m. by the Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources. It originated behind 2607 Lenora Church Road and entered an unnamed tributary of No Business Creek. The creek neared minor flood levels around 2:15 p.m. Wednesday.

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Grease caused the spill, the Department of Water Resources determined. Pouring things like cooking oil, bacon grease or melted ice cream down the sink can cause grease build-ups that lead to spills like this, according to the Department of Water Resources.

The department raked the area and spread lime in order to mitigate the effects of the spill. Signs were posted to alert residents to the spill and the Georgia Environmental Protection Division was notified. Exposure to raw sewage generally poses the risk of diseases and infections including gastro-enteritis and E. coli.

In other news:

Channel 2's Mike Petchenik reports the county is now under fire for how it handled requests for repairs before the collapse.

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About the Author

Amanda Coyne is a hyperlocal reporter for the AJC, covering Gwinnett County.

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