Sewage Pond Flooding

So what caused the sewage to back up in East Ridge during this week's flooding?  Mark Harrison with the W-W-T-A says, flood waters tangled with raw sewage that came from homes with sump pumps, and leaking or damaged home sewer lines.  The authority is taking steps to make sure, that DOESN'T happen again.  Meanwhile, people south of East Ridge, are having to deal with their own sewage overflow problems.  We were shocked to find out one of the largest sewage treatment ponds in North Georgia is still open, and the damage from this week's flooding, is now being examined.

Amidst all the floodwaters on West Chickamauga Creek.. one area that was completely underwater, caught our attention.  It's the Mitchell Acres Sewage Treatment Pond in Fort Oglethorpe.  A year ago during a NewsChannel 9 investigation, the city told us they were planning to close this pond, and tie its residents into the Moccasin Bend Sewage Treatment Plant. This week, during the height of the flooding, the sewage pond simply disappeared.  "The floodwater came up from the right side of the pond," says neighbor Becky McBryar, "and then it came in from the left side."

"And then.. the pond was just gone."

Then.. some of the most shocking news you can imagine.  "There were canoes and kids in 'em," Mrs. McBryar says, "paddling around in that water.   These people with kids.. they don't realize what this is back here, and everybody lets their kids play in it.  It's raw sewage."

We decided to reopen our investigation after we saw the pictures of West Chickamauga overrunning a sewage treatment pond that WE thought, should have been long gone before any flood.  "Is it possible," I asked Fort Oglethorpe City Manager Ron Goulart, "that the floodwater could have taken some of the effluent, untreated effluent out of the pond?"  "I'm sure that perhaps it did," he answered, "but our primary concern was basically the solids that were in the pond."  Mr. Goulart says, one of his public works employees inspected the pond and found the walls intact.  He says, luckily, none of the sewage solids in the bottom of the pond were washed out, but bacteria on top of the water, probably was.

As far as the pond's elimination, he assured us that process is imminent.  Road construction on nearby Cloud Springs Road and the weather, has delayed the installation of an interceptor, diverting sewage to Mocassin Bend.  He says, the interceptor's on a fast track, and so is the pond's demise.  "Once the waters subside," Mr. Goulart says, "we'll be full steam ahead and have it decomissioned within three weeks."

Mr. Goulart says, rushing floodwater is always tempting to children, who seem drawn to play in it, and he says HE'S more worried about them getting caught in the current, than he'd be about bacteria contamination.  Although both are dangerous, he's urging parents to keep their kids away from floodwaters..