Newspaper Page Text
Page 8 October 15, 2023 StarNews www.starnewsgaonline.com
13,000 GALS. SEWAGE PER DAY
from front page
plant, out onto open ground and
draining into an open well, and
continuing its path forming an
approximately 1/4 acre sewage pond
that then drains into Buck Creek (see
photo right). Buck Creek connects
with and flows into the Little
Tallapoosa River at a point located
downstream from the City of
Carrollton’s drinking water source
(water filtration plant).
The open well (see photo this page)
is in the watershed defined by the 8
digit Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC)
03150108 and has a drainage area of
32.4 square miles.
According to the StarNews’ source,
“adult diapers, tampons, and medical
sharps” were visible in the raw and
According to StarNews’
source, “adult diapers, tampons,
and medical sharps” were visible
in the raw, decomposing sewage.
decomposing sewage.
Photographs obtained by StarNews
show the open well, and parts of the
older sewage treatment equipment (see
photo this page) including what
appears to be an outside electrical box.
The EPD permitted this original site
in 1986 for this sewage treatment
plant, and it has been under their
jurisdiction and responsibility to
inspect on a regular basis. It is, and has
been, EPD’s responsibility to: monitor
this location since 1986; be aware of
the history of the facility, such as when
the newer onsite sewage treatment
plant began operation; when the older
one stopped functioning; and if the
older one has been or is incurring any
violations (spills). Thus, one of two
scenarios is tme: 1. EPD failed to
inspect this site for at least two
decades; or 2. EPD inspected this site
witnessing the spill without taking
steps to stop it.
Carroll CountV Department of
Environmental Health and EPD
An anonymous call from a duck
hunter on January 25, 2023, reporting
the smell of sewage on Buck Creek
resulted in the Carroll County
Department of Environmental Health
(CCDEH) to investigate the closest
nearby facility: Carrollton Nursing and
Rehabilitation, 2327 Highway 27,
Carrollton. The initial investigation by
CCDEH on January 31st of the
facility’s septic system resulted in the
finding of “unable to verify any
sewage spill”. Complaint was abated
February 2nd. After receiving another
anonymous complaint on April 26th -
one that provided more details as to the
location of the problem - a second
investigation by CCDEH uncovered -
literally - a second, and much older
non-functioning onsite treatment
system through which sewage was
found to be freely flowing. This older
treatment system was discovered by
CCDEH under decades-old growth of
trees, bushes, and grasses. StarNews
discovered an online satellite image of
the sewage spill that appears to be at
least a 1/4 of an acre in size; depth is
unknown (see photo this page).
According to the report filed April
27th by Jake Holloway, Environmental
Health County Manager, Carroll
The EPD permitted this
original site in 1986for this
sewage treatment plant... It is,
and has been, EPD’s
responsibility to monitor this
location since 1986...
County Department of Environmental
Health: “We found that part if not most
of the sewage flow was not tied to the
septic system. In a densely wooded
area away from the main drive we
found what appears to be an old
sewage treatment plant that looked to
be in disrepair for quite some time. . .
These systems are regulated by the
EPD.”
That same day, Holloway referred
the complaint to the Georgia EPD as
“it is in their jurisdiction”. He sent a
lengthy email to Brian Boutelle, EPD,
Stormwater and Drinking Water,
detailing the ongoing contamination
and situation: “We received a
complaint on Carrollton Nursing and
Rehab located at 2327 Hwy 27 North
Carrollton, GA 30117. I accompanied
one of our inspectors to the site during
the investigation. We found what
appears to be an old onsite treatment
plant. I know these were originally
permitted by the EPD.”
Holloway’s email continues, “It
appears the system has not functioned
in many years or possibly decades. The
components are hard to identify as they
are in such disrepair and have thick
vegetation growing around it.
Currently, there is raw sewage that
leads directly into a pond. The pond
then spills into a creek [Buck Creek]
that is in close proximity to the pond.
We pulled the water use records for
this facility and found it is likely
discharging an average of 13,000
gallons of raw sewage a day into an
open water system and has likely been
doing this for quite some time.”
Holloway’s email states, “I wanted
to inform someone at the EPD since
these type systems are not within our
jurisdiction. . . If you would like more
details feel free to call me on my cell.”
Boutelle responded the same day
(April 27th) with this email: “This is a
permitted site that we regulate. We
were scheduled to conduct a routine
inspection last week, but it has been
moved to early next month. We have
not been notified of any issues with
this system. We will make it a priority
to investigate.”
Holloway responded eight minutes
later, “Thank you. We can meet you
out there when you come if needed, the
issue is well hidden by the vegetation.”
Two weeks later on May 9th,
Holloway emailed Boutelle again: “I
just wanted to follow up and see if
anyone had time to follow up on the
sewage issue at Carrollton Nursing and
Rehab.” Boutelle responded to
Holloway 36 minutes later: “We are
planning on a site visit tomorrow.”
On May 17th, Boutelle emailed
Holloway: “We looked at the system at
Carrollton manor [sic] and did not see
an [sic] unpermitted discharges. Could
you email us a map marked with the
location of the unpermitted discharge?”
Holloway emailed Boutelle pointing
out that EPD went to the wrong
nursing home, that “the failure is not at
See EPD’s BUNGLING page 9
Shown above is a satellite image of the Carrollton Nursing and Rehabiliation facility with the raw
sewage pond circled in red. Using the square footage of the facility as a guide, the sewage pond is
estimated to be around a quarter of an acre, depth unknown.
O.V. GRAY
AIRPORT
, DARK
^jBUC^CRE
X
GREEN: WHERE
BUCK CREE
ENTERS LITT
TALLAPOOS,
RIVER DIRECT
BLUE
YELLOW:
D CARROLLTO
NURSING &
REHAB
RED: CAF
WATER
FILTRATI
Car i=6
DARKB
OO
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IVER
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BLACK: CARROLLTON WASTEWATER
TREATMENT PLANT NEAR UWG
In a video obtained by StarNews through the
Open Records Act, sewage is seen flowing into this
open well located on the acreage belnging to the
Carrollton Nursing and Rehabiliation facility. (See
video: www.starnewsgaonline.com)
Shown above are components of the older sewage treatment equipment located on the Carrollton
Nursing and Rehabiliation’s property including what appears to be an outside electrical box.