Estimated 3,600 gallons of sewage released after spill near Dean Forest Rd., says City of Savannah

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - The City of Savannah said an estimated 3,600 gallons of sewage entered Pipemaker’s Canal on Wednesday after a “minor sanitary sewer spill” near 602 Dean Forest Road.

The city noted Pipemaker’s Canal flows into the Savannah River.

“The spill was caused by a mechanical issue at a nearby sanitary sewer pumping station, which led to sewage backing up in the gravity sewer lines and overflowing from a manhole for a short period of time. The manhole also experienced a structural failure, resulting in some additional overflow relative to what would have otherwise occurred,” detailed the City of Savannah in a press release to WTOC.

The city said crews restored the pumping station to full operation by Wednesday evening.

“Crews also used vacuum trucks to recover as much of the overflow as possible and have begun repairs to the damaged manhole,” wrote the city.

This incident is classified as a minor spill under state environmental reporting guidelines, according to the City of Savannah. The city says the affected area is within the Travis Field Water Reclamation Facility service area.

In order to prevent similar mechanical issues in the future, the city says the pumping station will be further evaluated.