There were 12 sanitary sewer overflows reported in DeKalb County during the first 10 days of 2020, according to a list included in Commissioner Nancy Jester's weekly newsletter.
Two of the spills were described as major spills, both occuring on Friday, Jan. 3. One was at 2171 Carson Valley Dr. in Tucker. The other was at 1707 Childerlee Lane in Atlanta.
In the Tucker incident, 12,300 gallons spilled from an 8-inch sewer main because of an unknown blockage. The other spill was of 74,100 gallons from a manhole getting into North Fork Peachtree Creek because of rainfall. More than an inch of rain was recorded at Peachtree DeKalb Airport on Jan. 3.
Last month, the Georgia Association of Water Professionals gave the county's watershed management department a Gold Award for a score of 100 percent in an audit that evaluated department management, plans and procedures. Mike Thomas, the group's director of Leadership Development and Member Relations presented the award to the county on Dec. 17.
Also in December, the Southeastern FOG Alliance (fats, oils and grease) awarded DeKalb County the 2019 FOG Program of the Year award for its "No FOG, No Clog" educational program.
In 2019, DeKalb County had the highest number of sewer spills in a decade.
