N. FL's
Withlacoochee River Task Force met with
Valdosta officials on Thursday to be updated on
the formerly spill-prone Valdosta utility system
August 16, 2025 5:45 pm | 9 min read
Updated August 17, 2025 4:45 pm
Columbia County Observer photo and graphic
The 2-minute version (no pictures)
VALDOSTA, GA – Withlacoochee River Task Force met with Georgia’s City of Valdosta officials and utility personnel Thursday evening to get an update on the formerly spill-prone Valdosta utility system and its improvements.
After almost $200M of community investment, Valdosta has a handle on it, and is in an economic development boom as a result.
Folks came from as far south as Clearwater to hear what
Valdosta had to say.
Background
The Withlacoochee River Task Force (Task Force) was formed by the North Central Florida Planning Council in 2019 in response to the continuing major sewage spills coming from Valdosta, Georgia, into Florida via the Withlacoochee and Suwannee Rivers. These multimillion-gallon wastewater spills were both ecological and human disasters.
See: Valdosta's 7.5 Million Gallon Raw Sewage Spill: For 7 days, like an unseen oil spill
North FL Leaders Agree to Reach Out to Valdosta to Find a Solution to Pollution
The Task Force had not met with Valdosta’s officials for five years, during which time Valdosta has made major citizen/business-funded improvements to its wastewater treatment system, costing almost $200 million to update its system and stop the spills.
John Quarterman addresses the River Taskforce 2019.
In April 2025, Task Force Chairman Rick Davis and North Central Florida Regional Planning Council (NCFRPC) Executive Director Scott Koons met with Valdosta Mayor Scott Matheson, Utility Director Jason Barnes, and possibly others in Valdosta for a private update and a pre-meeting for a meeting between the Task Force and Valdosta. John Quarterman, the Suwannee Riverkeeper, was not advised nor invited to this meeting.
Keeping the public, the Planning Council, and those that need to know up to date regarding meeting information was never a top priority for NCFRPC Exec. Dir. Scott Koons.
August 14, 2025: The Task Force and the City of Valdosta meet
Valdosta Mayor Scott Matherson welcomed the Task Force to Valdosta and provided a comprehensive overview of the City's water and sewer infrastructure transformation over the past 15+ years.
Scott Matheson - City of Valdosta mayor
Mayor Matheson told the gathering, "75-80 years ago, the federal government was in the water and sewer business. They knew if they gave money out and everybody laid pipe that this beautiful experiment called the United States would grow. So, we come to modern day, 15 years ago, and everybody was exactly where they were 15 years ago. They (the federally funded iron pipes) were crumbling. It was aging; they were strapping it together with a Band-Aid. It was not a good situation.”
The Mayor said that for 75% of the United States, it's still not a good situation.
He said that for Valdosta, “We're one of the shining stars. We're one of the elites in what we put into, what we've rehabbed, and what we've rebuilt. And you're gonna hear about that tonight.”
Mayor Matheson said that 2009 was the turning point. “The last of what we held together was destroyed. O-nine was the historic flood.”
Valdosta had no choice but to rebuild. Its infrastructure, water, and wastewater treatment plants were virtually laid waste by 2011.
The Mayor explained that after 2011 and by 2014, the City christened the new Withlacoochee wastewater treatment plant and “a brand-new spine down the middle of town.”
Besides Valdosta’s new force main system, the City has invested in 35 lift stations with backup generators (lift stations pump poop, plus a $400,000 mobile backup unit. The City also built a $7.5 million catch basin at the treatment plant for extreme rain events.
Mayor Matheson said the upgrades in the wastewater and stormwater systems have spurred economic development: glass manufacturing at 750 jobs; Prinsco is building a 74,000 sq ft manufacturing facility; GAF; and a Walmart dairy facility is investing $400M.
There is a second water plant scheduled to become operational by mid-2026.
We all share the same priorities: a healthy river, safe water, and a stronger community.
Jason Barnes, Valdosta Utility Director.
A $69M bond was recently approved for infrastructure repair, upgrades, and growth. Approved by the public, the citizens of Valdosta have demonstrated trust in the running of the municipal utility and its economic development plan.
Task Force member Mary Alford, Chairperson of the North Central Florida Regional Planning Council, asked if the City has addressed I&I (inflow and infiltration – I&I refers to the entry of groundwater and stormwater into a wastewater collection system).
The Mayor responded, “That's exactly what that $69 million is for. Infiltration is our enemy.”
The Mayor also explained a $1.5M effort to clear waterways damaged by Helene and the subsequent flooding.
Mayor Matheson said that no city can be entirely free of spills, and the City's goal is to return to just 1-2 minor spills per year. He pledged continued, serious focus on reliability and water quality.
Before handing the podium to Jason Barnes, Valdosta’s utility director, Mayor Matheson thanked the Task Force for coming.
The Mayor was off to a black tie fundraiser/celebration for a $150M investment by SGMC Health for its main campus expansion.
Utility Director Jason Barnes takes over
Jason Barnes - Valdosta utility director.
Mr. Barnes has 31 years of experience in Valdosta utilities. Beginning in 1995, Mr. Barnes worked his way up through the system, getting licensed along the way, eventually becoming assistant director and then, a little over a year ago, becoming utility director.
Mr. Barnes told the gathering:
“I want to be clear about my objective here tonight. First, I want to be transparent with each and every one of you. We have made progress, but we know there's still a lot of work left to do. Second, I want to make sure that you feel that you are heard here tonight. Your concerns are valid and they matter. And third, to use tonight as a step toward ongoing communication, collaboration, and cooperation. I may not have the answer this evening for everything, and some answers I do have may not be exactly what you want to hear, but by the end of tonight, I want you to have a clear understanding of the work we've done and the work that's planned and the confidence in our commitment to keep improving.
We all share the same priorities: a healthy river, safe water, and a stronger community.”
Director Barns walked the attendees through an overview of sewer infrastructure projects both past and upcoming, focusing on work from 2018 to the present and what's ahead in the City’s capital improvement schedule.
Before Mr. Barnes updated the recent projects, he put things in historical context from 2009-2017.
Mr. Barnes mentioned: extensive manhole rehabilitation and lining projects; major lift station upgrades (Country Club, Tucker Row); Mud Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant upgraded from 3.2 to 5.7 million gallons capacity; Withlacoochee Plant relocated due to repeated flooding (2009, 2011, 2014, 2016); added secondary equalization basin in 2021 to address inflow and infiltration issues.
Mr. Barnes reviewed the utility’s current challenges: Inflow and Infiltration (I&I) identified as the primary system problem; over 420 miles of sewer lines requiring maintenance; more than 6,000 manholes needing ongoing repairs; aging infrastructure requiring systematic replacement.
Mr. Barnes summed up his presentation [abridged]: “We are working diligently; we are trying our best. I promise you, as long as I'm here, as long as they don't get rid of me, I will be here as long as I can to make sure when I leave here, I'm going to leave it better than I found it. And that's my goal. My goal is to get us out of a consent order. My goal is to get all these projects done with the help of engineering, city staff, city leadership. That's what I'm here for.”
Task Force member and environmental engineer, Mary Alford, said, "I want to congratulate you. If I were going to make a list of all the things you need to do to deal with the problem, you have checked off every one of them.”
Task Force Chair Rick Davis addressed the City
Rick Davis - Madison County Commissioner and Chair of
the Withlacoochee River Task Force.
Rick Davis came to the podium and framed the meeting as an important joint gathering of city, county, and state stakeholders, emphasizing that shared environmental, public health, and safety issues do not stop at political boundaries. He noted that rivers, groundwater, and downstream communities are interconnected.
Mr. Davis recognized the utility director and his team for their sustained commitment and investment in water and wastewater infrastructure.
Mr. Davis emphasized the need for stronger, more proactive public communication from the City of Valdosta. Davis urged the City to provide clear, accessible, and frequent updates about projects—what has been completed, what is underway, timelines, and how funds are being spent. He argued that without transparent, ongoing information, the public often assumes “nothing is being done,” even when substantial progress is occurring. He suggested a structured communications approach, including regular reports, dashboards, and public briefings, to demonstrate accountability.
On water quality monitoring, Mr. Davis pointed out that the City’s intensive river testing regimen—conducted three times weekly under a 2020 consent order—has ended. He asked the city to reconsider reinstating frequent river testing despite the associated costs.
Mr. Davis acknowledged that past policies allowed for discharge of treated effluent into rivers and commended current City efforts aimed at preventing spills through infrastructure upgrades and operational improvements.
Task Force’s Davis stressed the regional nature of the challenge: water quality and environmental impacts do not recognize county or state borders. He called for active cooperation among Valdosta and neighboring Florida counties, urging joint planning, data sharing, and coordinated response protocols to protect shared waterways.
Mr. Davis invited commissioners and members of the public to contribute their perspectives and questions.
He expressed disappointment and was critical of the Mayor for leaving the meeting, and of some council members who did not attend. He emphasized that elected officials should be present for difficult conversations, both to explain progress and to hear concerns firsthand.
Task Force Members Weigh In
Alachua's Mary Alford, Chair of the NCFRPC, is an
environmental engineer.
Alachua’s Mary Alford asks, “One thing that is outside of your purview that I wanted to ask about is stopping the stormwater before it gets to where it [becomes an issue] with inflow and infiltration. Is your public works working on digging out swales and maintaining culverts and maintaining stormwater basins and all of those things that divert the stormwater before it can infiltrate?”
Utility Director Barnes said, “The stormwater staff is working on that,” adding, “that is an everyday process.”
Don Hale - Suwannee County Commissioner. Columbia County
Commissioner Rocky Ford,
Chair of the disastrous NFWUA (right).
Suwannee County’s Commissioner Don Hale said, "Communication is the key," and added, "I appreciate you guys sharing this information. This is the kind of thing we need to speak to our constituents, to let them know what you guys are doing and the pace you are doing it at… I like to be ahead of those things. I like to have an answer to the people I answer to."
Commissioner Hale pointed out that there was supposed to be a notification system in the past. He asked, “Is that something you can get back to doing on a routine basis?”
Task Force Chair Davis responded, “Mr. Koons and I met with the Mayor and City Manager two or three months ago, and we talked about that exactly. We've been able to upgrade our notification system, and they've agreed to start sending us the needed notifications again. We didn't have that set up... It's important for me and other counties to be able to notify the public as soon as possible.”
The meeting was four months ago. It was not explained why the Planning Council Executive Director, Scott Koons, did not send out a "blast" to the planning council members of the updated notification system.
Anthony Adams - Lafayette County Commissioner
Lafayette County Commissioner Anthony Adams weighed in: "I don't have any doubt that the leadership and staff at Valdosta and the people of Valdosta want to solve this problem. I think it hurts your feelings, just as it does ours every time the news of a spill comes out. I heard you tonight, and I believe that you're chasing a problem that's years away from a solution. And I am highly disappointed in the state of Georgia and our federal representatives from Florida and Georgia, who haven't stepped in and tried to solve this problem. I truly believe that if Valdosta was located in a different part of Georgia, and this was happening to other constituents of Georgia, they would solve this problem."
“But because of this location, it spills over the state line; it's a compounded the problem and we need to pressure our representatives to be involved. This would go a long way to solve this."
"Even though we know how hard you're working, every time there's a spill and my people who live along the river hear about it, there is almost a panic."
An unidentified citizen said, “I just want to let everybody know that the City of Valdosta discharges its treated wastewater every day to these rivers. It's not just the overflows, the I&I, the lift station failures, every day you got the discharge in your treated wastewater, into the water that we swim in.”
City Manager Richard Hardy
Epilogue
Valdosta City Manager Richard Hardy closed out the meeting. “Our goal is to be clearly transparent. Our goal is to make sure that we keep everything in the pipes, and we are going to continue to do that. We really appreciate your interest. We want to do the same thing -- keep those rivers clean.”
Update August 17: water/wastewater plant to water plant