In an episode that reflects the increased reliance of the Savannah River estuary on the mechanical injection of oxygen, Savannah last week reported a major sewage spill in the harbor.
If you’re picturing raw sewage flowing into the harbor, you’ve got it wrong. The spill was a release of treated wastewater that triggered a response because of concerns about oxygen levels in the river.
The incident occurred when Savannah took one of the two aeration basins off-line for maintenance at the Wilshire sewage treatment plant. The resulting discharge had high levels of organic matter in it, prompting bacteria in the river to use up more oxygen as it consumed the organic waste. Low oxygen levels can imperil fish and shellfish.
The city worked to mitigate any resulting oxygen decrease in the river by increasing the output from the oxygen injection systems at two other treatment plants, President Street and Travis Field, said Savannah Chief of Water Resources Chief Ron Feldner.
No fines have been issued yet in connection with the spill.
“EPD is evaluating the information received regarding the spill and has not yet made a determination regarding enforcement,” EPD spokeswoman Sara Lips said.
The Savannah River harbor has long had an issue with oxygen levels because of the heavy load of pollution permitted to be discharged into the river. Harbor deepening to the current 47 feet deep, a decades-long project completed in 2022, threatened to worsen the problem and required a $100M riverside installation of a dozen oxygen injection systems called Speece cones as mitigation.
Environmentalists have objected to the mechanization of the river since it was first proposed, likening the oxygen injection systems to an iron lung for the river.
“The sustainability of the oxygen injection solution to dissolved oxygen issues in the harbor is shady at best, still,” said Savannah Riverkeeper Tonya Bonitatibus.
She noted that the river is getting a break as International Paper shuts down. The paper-making giant was a major contributor to the river’s oxygen-depleting pollution load.
But Georgia has to start making some hard choices, she said.
“We’re still asking too much of the river in general, and especially as we get ready for another deepening, as we get ready for this huge new intake in Effingham, you have all of these like continual hits, not to even mention data centers and the huge impact it’s going to start having on the watershed.”
The Tide brings regular notes and observations on news and events by The Current staff.
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Type of Story: News
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
