By MONROE ROARK
mroark@thecitizennews.com

Fayette County's recent severe winter weather is apparently the main cause of a small sewage spill into Lake Peachtree Sunday.

According to a statement by Peachtree City Water and Sewerage Authority general manager Larry Turner, a power failure occurred at a pump station, which caused the discharge of about 1,500 gallons into the upper reaches of the lake near Ga. Highway 54.

“Most, if not all, of the sewage was recovered from the lake by the use of a sewer vacuum truck owned by the authority,” said Turner.

The Fayette County Water System and the state's Environmental Protection Division were immediately notified.

Turner said that he learned from the EPD when informing them of this incident that a number of similar spills were being attended to all over the metro Atlanta area, also due to the weather and power outages.

The Authority is still in the process of negotiating with the EPD concerning fines from two larger spills last year.