Walker Co. reports sewer spill near Chickamauga

CHICKAMAUGA, Georgia (WDEF) – Walker County officials report another sewer spill in the Chickamauga area.

For the second time on Wednesday, a line backed up, dumping about 500 gallons of sewage.

It happened in a wooded area between Glass Mill Road and Lee Clarkson Road.

They blame this spill on a chunk of grease about the size of two basketballs.

Crews were cleaning the Walker County Water & Sewerage Authority (WCWSA) lines when the grease chunk broke off and lodged in the sewer line.

Officials say the spill would have been much worse, if a cleaning contractor truck wasn’t already in the area.

They don’t know how long the cleanup will take.

Meanwhile, the area is roped off to the public.

We spoke with a local plumber who says grease blockages are totally preventable by simply not pouring your grease down the drain.

Matt Gass with Mr. Rooter in Chattanooga said that cleaning out hardened grease from pipes can be an expensive undertaking and dumping grease down the sink causes problems not only to your property, but also to city wide plumbing.

To dispose of your grease he recommends “letting it cool and then putting it in the trash.”

WCWSA reported this sewer water spill to Georgia’s Environmental Protection Division (EPD).

WCWSA also reported that they are working on the problem day and night to make sure it does not happen again.