A long-awaited mega-generator for Peachtree City's Line Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant has been delivered and should be up and running by Nov. 1.

Capable of producing 250 kilowatts of power, the huge machine would kick in if there is a power loss at the plant, said Water and Sewer Authority Manager Larry Turner. Such a backup system would prevent the kinds of troubles that have plagued the Line Creek plant this summer, including two major sewage spills into the waterway, affecting Spalding County and other areas south of Peachtree City.

Turner said it was a series of unlucky coincidences that led to the most serious of the spills, for which the city was fined. A power failure was caused by lightning during a summer storm, and the road to the plant was blocked by a fallen tree, preventing utility workers from reaching the plant to restore power. The major-league generator will be a big help in situations like that, he said, but its acquisition had been planned long before the spill.