Wipes and paper blamed for 6,700-gallon Gwinnett sewage spill

Stock image.

Stock image.

"Wipes, paper and other products" triggered a spill that sent more than 6,700 gallons of sewage into a Gwinnett County creek last week, officials said.

According to the Gwinnett Department of Water Resources, the spill started around 10:30 a.m. Friday at a manhole on Porter Drive, not far from the Lawrenceville intersection of Cruse Road and Club Drive. It took nearly two hours to stop.

An estimated 6,738 gallons spilled into "an unnamed tributary of Sweetwater Creek."

Water resources workers raked the area and spread lime, officials said. The Georgia Environmental Protection Division was also notified.

"Using the toilet as a trashcan can result in blockages that can lead to backups in your plumbing or sewer overflows," officials said in a news release. "Items that should be placed in a trashcan include baby wipes, diapers, paper towels and cotton swabs."