Number of Sewage Spills This Year Higher Than Usual, Director Says

Local News

7/16/2010 1:49:00 PM

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Number of Sewage Spills This Year Higher Than Usual, Director Says

By Emily Mathis
SDN Staff Report

July 16, 2010 - Savannah residents that felt like Monday night's sewage spill was a rerun they'd seen an awfully lot this year aren't mistaken, says John Sawyer, Director of Savannah's Sewage and Water Department.

"This year's higher than normal, predominantly from cave ins - casing's old, real old, and there were a few dry years and then heavy rains are putting pressure so the lines will collapse," Sawyer explained.

While there's nothing anyone can do about the weather, Sawyer said there is one culprit that can be stopped - grease going down household sinks and garbage disposals. Sawyer said just like human arteries, sewage lines could only take so much build up of grease before they bust. And that buildup can come from something as simple as washing off the dishes from last night's dinner of buttered potato peels and steak.

"You might not think about it because its not like you're pushing a bottle of Crisco down the sink, but anything with grease ends up there," Sawyer said.

The best thing families can do to prevent a spill is to simply wipe off the plate before rinsing it off or throwing stuff down the garbage disposal, Sawyer said.

It seems likely that whatever last night's dinner added to the blockage, commercial restaurants must add two-fold. But Sawyer said restaurants really weren't the culprits. All commercial restaurants are required to have a grease-trap - a device under the sink that catches excess grease - installed to prevent sewage blockages. Sawyer stressed this was enforced by inspections conducted by employees from the Department of Water and Sewage, but said more than seeking out offenders the inspectors were educating restaurants to how to best use the grease-traps.

But with Savannah's 800 miles of sewage lines, grease traps and education might not be enough to permanently stop what Sawyer says is just the nature of the beast.

"Can you inspect every foot of 800 miles every day? No," he said.

To help with the burden, Sawyer sent out a message to the public, which he called the department's best eyes and ears: "If you think you're seeing or know of a spill, wherever that may be, by all means call us immediately, the last thing we want is a spill we don't know about. It's not acceptable," he said.

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