Metro Atlanta
Metro Atlanta

Sewer spill in Norcross caused by tree roots

A construction worker reconnects a house sewer pipe while crews perform open-cut sewer main replacement along Sylvan Road at Melrose Drive in southwest Atlanta. PHIL SKINNER / AJC FILE
A construction worker reconnects a house sewer pipe while crews perform open-cut sewer main replacement along Sylvan Road at Melrose Drive in southwest Atlanta. PHIL SKINNER / AJC FILE
By Arielle Kass
March 6, 2020

About 8,000 gallons of sewage spilled in Gwinnett County Tuesday.

The spill occurred at a manhole at 640 Mitchell Road in Norcross and was caused by damage from the roots of a nearby tree.

About 8,295 gallons of sewage spilled into an unnamed tributary of Beaver Ruin Creek.

The county placed signs letting residents know about the spill, raked the area and spread lime to mitigate the spill’s effects.

About the Author

Arielle Kass covers Gwinnett County for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She started at the paper in 2010, and has covered business and local government beats around metro Atlanta. Arielle is a graduate of Emory University.

More Stories

Keep Reading

A man rides a bicycle in the rain along 10th Street in downtown Atlanta on Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025. (Ben Hendren for the AJC)

Credit: Ben Hendren

Rain produces wet roads in Atlanta for returning holiday travelers

Wet and chilly weather is expected to harshly greet Georgia travelers returning home Sunday after the holiday weekend and through the early week.

49m ago

Man locked up for 23 years despite evidence proving his innocence, lawsuit says

Although investigators had reason to believe Sandeep “Sonny” Bharadia wasn’t involved in the crime, they pushed forward with a case against him anyway, a lawsuit says.

Teen, 17, fatally shot while shopping at SW Atlanta complex, police say

A 17-year-old was gunned down Saturday while shopping at a southwest Atlanta complex, police said.

The Latest

Sonny Bharadia, who spent more than two decades behind bars for a 2001 crime he did not commit, is suing the small town of Thunderbolt and the two law enforcement officers who handled his case. (Courtesy of Georgia Innocence Project)

Credit: Georgia Innocence Project

Man locked up for 23 years despite evidence proving his innocence, lawsuit says

Rain produces wet roads in Atlanta for returning holiday travelers

49m ago

Gridlock Guy: Too much ‘holiday cheer’ can shatter silent night on the road

Featured

Carleigh Knight (left) and her sister, Natalie Rogovin, look at Christmas ornaments while shopping at Kudzu Antiques + Modern in Decatur on Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025. (Natrice Miller/AJC)

Credit: Natrice Miller

Metro Atlanta retailers hopeful for strong holiday season after chaotic year

Some independent retailers in metro Atlanta are entering this holiday season feeling battered by what they call a chaotic year.

$21B data center proposal aims to become one of Georgia’s largest

Trammell Crow Co. is planning a $21 billion technology campus for a 1,632-acre site along I-75 roughly 60 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.

This metro Atlanta couple spearheaded a change in football helmets

Erin and Lee Hanson are the founders behind Guardian Sports, the company that makes the Guardian Caps worn by college football and NFL players.