Friends of Shoal Creek supports common-sense protections for water quality in the greater Shoal Creek watershed. Just in time for summer, Friends of Dearborn Park has shared some goods news about Shoal Creek water quality at the City of Decatur’s Dearborn Park. The water in an area underneath the bridge in Dearborn Park as you enter from Deerwood Drive was tested on April 29, 2021. For more information, please see https://dearbornpark.org/2021/06/14/shoal-creek-in-dearborn-is-clean/.
Currently, the greatest ongoing threat to water quality is from overflows of raw sewage into the creek from the sanitary sewer system. These overflows occur after heavy rains and overwhelm the capacity of the existing sanitary and stormwater systems. Local residents have likely seen yellow signs posted by DeKalb County documenting where and when its sewer system has experienced overflows.
DeKalb County is under the enforcement authority of the US EPA to correct these ongoing, systemic issues. Friends of Shoal Creek supports all efforts to accelerate the compliance process and remedy all violations and overflows.
However, Friends of Shoal Creek also recognizes that the City of Decatur bears responsibility for its stormwater runoff, which contributes to the overflows. When stormwater runoff pools in and around old sewer pipes, it infiltrates into these pipes, contributing to the incidence and severity of sewage overflows. The City has jurisdiction over the management of its stormwater flows.
Currently, the City is in an ongoing process to update its Stormwater Master Plan. Friends of Shoal Creek urges the City to prioritize the reduction of sewage overflows as a primary concern in its Stormwater Master Plan.
Read our full comment letter to the City below.
