Oconee County has completed replacement of the 1,000 feet of forced main sewer line that produced three major spills in a year into a tributary to McNutt Creek that separates Tanglebrook subdivision and the Pinewood Estates South mobile home park.
As work was being completed on the new forced main replacement line, and before the switch to the new line, a minor spill occurred resulting from a break in the old forced main line.
On June 18, the county issued a news release saying that “Due to a broken force main pipe in the process of repairs, Oconee County experienced a minor sanitary sewer spill into a tributary of McNutt Creek in the area of Tanglebrook Subdivision on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, at approximately 10:15 a.m.”
The broken pipe released 1,380 gallons of untreated sewage into the tributary, according to the news release. The flow was contained by 11:15 a.m.
Flow was shifted to the new forced main line by 4:15 p.m. on June 17, according to the release.
County Administrator Justin Kirouac confirmed in an email on June 18 that “The old section of line has now been decommissioned and the new line is active.”
Importance Of Forced Main Line
The 12-inch forced main sewer line that runs along the tributary that separates Tanglebrook subdivision and the Pinewood Estates South mobile home park is a crucial part of the county’s sewer system.
Sewage is pumped through that line from the large pump station between Parkway Boulevard and McNutt Creek just west of the bridge carrying Epps Bridge Parkway across McNutt Creek.
That sewer line along McNutt Creek is the collector for sewage from the county’s commercial hub along Epps Bridge Road, the Oconee Connector, and Virgil Langford Road.
Sewage from that pump station at Parkway Boulevard and Epps Bridge Parkway moves through the pipe up the unnamed tributary of McNutt Creek to another pump station behind the shopping center where Trader Joe’s is located.
From that station, sewage is pumped under SR Loop 10 to a line running along Daniells Bridge Road and Experiment Station Road to Calls Creek and ultimately to the county’s treatment plant on Calls Creek on the north side of Watkinsville.
History Of Spills
The county has had three major sewer spills resulting from breaks in the forced main line at Tanglebrook going back to June 1 of last year.
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| Picture Of June 17 Spill From Kirouac |
The county reported major breaks in February and April of this year.
Each of those breaks has been at the belled joints of the PVC pipe and likely is the result of improper installation of the pipe about seven years ago, according to the county.
Adam Layfield, Director of the Water Resources Department, said in early May that the new line will be HDPE pipe (high-density polyethylene pipe), and that joints “will be fused/welded together.”
The Georgia Environmental Protection Division classifies a spill of 10,000 gallons or more as major.
A spill of less than 10,000 gallons is minor.
June 17 Spill
The county news release on June18 said “In accordance with state regulations, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) and the Oconee County Environmental Health Department were notified” of the spill.
“Signs notifying the public of the spill have been placed in the spill area,” the news release stated, “and testing is being conducted for upstream and downstream water quality. Lab results for water quality will be forthcoming.”
Kirouac, in an email message on June 18, said that during installation of the new line the old section of line was used as a bypass.
The spill occurred in the old section as the new section was being readied for use, he said.
“Mobilization was already in process to perform the tie ins when staff noticed the break,” Kirouac wrote. “Staff was able to utilize contracted vac trucks to contain the spill for a total of 1,380 gallons.
“The tie-ins and repair were performed the day of the spill,” he wrote.
Kirouac provided a photo from the spill site that he said was “a picture of the spill area prior to the lift station being turned off and the vac truck removing it.”
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