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City reports violation of wastewater discharged into the Savannah River, officials say there is no threat to public health

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  Published in Health and Fitness on Wednesday, October 1st 2025 at 19:22 GMT by WTOC-TV
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City Admits Wastewater Violation in Savannah River; Officials Say No Immediate Public‑Health Risk

On Friday, October 1, 2025, the city of Savannah announced that its wastewater treatment facility had violated state water‑quality regulations by discharging excess untreated effluent into the Savannah River. The announcement came after a routine audit by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) revealed that the city’s main treatment plant had failed to meet the required effluent standards during a period of high demand in late summer. Despite the breach, city officials emphasized that the contamination does not pose an immediate threat to public health or the river’s ecosystem.

The Incident in Detail

The Georgia EPD released a 23‑page compliance report on Friday, noting that between August 12 and August 28, the treatment plant’s secondary effluent pipeline was overloaded due to unusually high rainfall and downstream storm‑water influxes. As a result, the plant temporarily bypassed its tertiary filtration system to keep up with the volume, releasing approximately 18,000 gallons of partially treated wastewater into the river per day. The EPD concluded that the discharge contained elevated levels of total suspended solids and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), exceeding the state’s limits by up to 60 %.

City officials disclosed that the treatment plant—operated by Savannah Municipal Water & Sewer (SMWS)—normally processes about 4.2 million gallons of wastewater daily. During the violation period, the plant’s capacity was reduced by roughly 15 % because the secondary treatment lagoon’s outflow had been capped to protect downstream wetlands from potential flooding.

SMWS’s director of operations, Laura Simmons, said the decision to temporarily bypass tertiary treatment was a “necessary short‑term measure” to avoid service interruptions. “We were dealing with an unprecedented volume of storm‑water entering the system,” Simmons told the press. “Our priority was to maintain water service for residents while ensuring that the plant could not become a bottleneck.”

Public‑Health Assessment

The city’s Environmental Health Department (EHD) convened an emergency response team on September 30. The team conducted on‑site sampling of the river water downstream from the discharge point. Preliminary analyses found that coliform bacteria levels were within acceptable limits, and the chemical indicators—such as pH, dissolved oxygen, and total dissolved solids—remained well below the thresholds that would indicate a public‑health risk.

“We conducted real‑time monitoring and found no evidence of pathogens or chemical hazards that would pose a danger to recreational users or local fisheries,” said Dr. Miguel Torres, the EHD’s chief scientist. “While the levels of suspended solids were higher than ideal, they do not present an acute health risk.”

Nevertheless, the EHD urged caution for activities that involve direct contact with the river, such as swimming or shellfish harvesting. “We recommend that local fishermen and recreational users avoid areas that might have been affected during the discharge window until a final, comprehensive study is published,” Dr. Torres added.

City Response and Accountability

Following the EPD’s findings, the city council convened an emergency meeting to discuss the breach. Councilmember James Patel, who chairs the Public Works Committee, demanded accountability: “We are holding SMWS responsible for this violation, and we will pursue penalties consistent with state law.” The council also approved an emergency budget increase of $1.2 million to fund a “Rapid Response” project that will upgrade the plant’s storm‑water integration and secondary filtration capacity.

City spokeswoman Maria Lopez noted that SMWS has already begun installing a new high‑flow, low‑pressure pumping system designed to better manage future storm events. “Our goal is to eliminate the need for any future bypasses of the tertiary treatment,” Lopez said. “We’re committed to restoring full compliance and restoring public trust.”

SMWS has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $75,000 to the EPD, as stipulated under the Georgia Water Pollution Control Act. In addition, the plant will undertake a community outreach program to keep residents informed of future water‑quality monitoring results and the progress of the plant’s upgrades.

Environmental Context

The Savannah River is a vital waterway that supports both commercial and recreational industries, including the large Savannah Port and the nearby Savannah‑Hiltse Industrial Complex. It also provides essential habitat for fish, birds, and amphibians. In the past decade, the river has faced multiple contamination incidents—from illegal pesticide runoff to industrial spills—prompting stricter regulatory scrutiny.

Georgia’s EPD has consistently cited the city’s wastewater plant as one of the top contributors to the river’s organic load. According to the 2024 Water Quality Report, SMWS’s effluent accounted for approximately 12 % of total BOD loads entering the Savannah River, a figure that has remained relatively stable over the last five years.

Environmental advocacy groups have weighed in on the latest violation. The Savannah River Alliance, an organization that monitors the river’s health, issued a statement on Monday calling for a “full audit of all municipal treatment plants” and urging the state to impose “more rigorous oversight and penalties.”

“While the city may not be presenting an immediate health threat, this incident highlights the fragility of our river system and the need for proactive measures,” said Alliance director Rebecca Hall. “We welcome the city’s willingness to upgrade its facilities, but we also urge the EPD to enforce stricter penalties for future violations.”

Follow‑Up Actions and Recommendations

The EPD has scheduled a follow‑up audit for December 15, 2025, to verify that the plant’s new infrastructure has resolved the issues identified in the August audit. In the meantime, the EPD will publish an updated water‑quality map on its website, indicating the specific monitoring stations affected by the breach.

The city has also pledged to maintain transparent reporting on the plant’s performance. “We will post real‑time effluent quality data on the city’s official website, allowing residents and stakeholders to see how the river’s water quality improves over time,” said Councilmember Patel.

Experts advise that the city and the EPD work closely with local universities to conduct an independent ecological assessment. A collaborative study between the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the EHD could offer a comprehensive view of the river’s health following the violation.

Key Takeaways

• Violation Identified: SMWS temporarily bypassed tertiary filtration, discharging ~18,000 gal/day of partially treated wastewater between August 12‑28.
• Public Health: Preliminary testing shows no acute health risk; however, temporary restrictions on recreational use are recommended.
• Financial Penalty: $75,000 civil penalty to the EPD, plus city budget increase for plant upgrades.
• Environmental Impact: The discharge elevated suspended solids and BOD but did not compromise downstream ecological integrity in the short term.
• Future Oversight: Scheduled December audit, real‑time data transparency, and proposed independent ecological study.

The city’s swift admission and decisive steps toward remediation suggest a growing commitment to environmental stewardship. However, the incident underscores the persistent vulnerability of urban wastewater systems to extreme weather events and regulatory oversight. As climate change intensifies precipitation patterns across the southeastern United States, municipalities will need to invest in resilient infrastructure and stringent monitoring to protect both public health and the natural ecosystems upon which they depend.