CORNELIA, Ga. — The City of Cornelia is monitoring water quality after a force main break Wednesday morning caused an estimated 4,500-gallon sewage spill, some of which reached a tributary of the North Fork of Little Mud Creek.
According to city officials, a city employee discovered the break at approximately 10:30 a.m. on July 15. Crews immediately shut down the pumps, stopping the overflow, and repaired the damaged force main within about five minutes. The line was back in service by 10:35 a.m.
The city estimates about 4,500 gallons of raw sewage escaped from the broken line. Officials said crews were able to recover a large portion of the wastewater from a nearby low-lying area and transport it to the city’s wastewater treatment plant for proper disposal.
However, some of the sewage entered a tributary of the North Fork of Little Mud Creek.
On Thursday, city crews treated the affected area with hydrated calcium carbonate as part of the cleanup effort. The city also began a 90-day water quality monitoring program for the stream to monitor any environmental impacts.
The city said the spill resulted from the force main break and that crews acted quickly to stop the discharge and restore service. No additional impacts or public advisories had been announced as of Thursday.
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