Sewer spill, other repair work face Gainesville City Council

GAINESVILLE – Two sewer issues came before the Gainesville City Council at Thursday morning’s work session: one was scheduled, the other not.

First the unexpected issue: Public Utilities Director Kelly Randall informed the Council that at 4:45 the previous afternoon a sewerage spill had been reported by a local realtor walking a parcel of property in the Etta Vesta Creek area of Lake Lanier.

"We had an overflow of waste water last night into Lake Lanier…pretty close to where the community dock is for High Point (subdivision)," Randal explained.

"They got out there last night and bypass-pumped…the bad section. They are going out today to replace about 60 or 70 feet," Randall said. "… and they’ll replace the entire section from manhole to manhole."

"We were very fortunate…we think we captured it pretty early on. We do estimate that it was about 12,000 gallons of waste water, probably, that was discharged into the lake."

"The good news is that it is a pretty deep section of the lake," Randall added, "There’s no real evidence of any real fish kills there."

Randall said that Hall County Environmental Health, the Army Corps of Engineers and the Georgia Environmental Protection Division were immediately notified.

The other sewer issue mentioned above was on the Council's agenda and involved preemptive sewer line repair near the intersection of Dawsonville Highway and McEver Road.

Public Utilities' Myron Bennett showed Council an aerial photograph of the area where nearly 3000 feet of 8-inch sewer line was in need of repair.

The line starts adjacent Panera Bread Company, crosses in front of the Hollywood Cinema complex and runs behind the Publix/Ross/ Old Navy shopping complex before continuing beneath McEver Road to a point in front of Aaron’s Rental.

The project, according to Bennett, will be minimal in disrupting area traffic and business because it will be done "endoscopically".

"To start digging and make the repairs underground," Bennett explained, "you’re talking about almost $400,000. This project is approximately $173,000."

"Kind of like an angioplasty," Councilman George Wangemann said jokingly.

Bennett agreed with Wangemann’s comparison. "There’s actually 69 businesses in this area that depend upon this sewer line for service. This is a very important sewer line."

Bennett went on to explain that the work will be done overnight when the demand on the sewer line is at its least amount of flow, and that doing the repairs underground will eliminate easement issues and any costs that would be associated with obtaining right-of-way.


OTHER COUNCIL NEWS

The Council was informed that the repainting of the timing-tower at the Olympic Venue at Clarks Bridge Park was nearly complete in preparation for the 17th Annual Atlanta Dragon Boat Festival (see separate story).

And plans are underway for a grand opening ceremony for the City View Center Pedestrian Bridge spanning Jesse Jewell Parkway.

Communications and Tourism Director Catiel Felts said that it now appears the grand opening could happen before the end of the month.

Weather and other factors can influence that date so check http://www.AccessNorthGA.com often for updated information on the ceremony.