VALDOSTA – Valdosta City Council recently approved an emergency sewer main repair and the Community Development Block Grant action plan.

Last July, the city utilities department was informed of a developing sinkhole adjacent to the existing sanitary manhole at North Oak Street near the Valdosta State University campus.

After further inspection by utilities central lines crews, it was determined that the existing 24-inch RCPS sanitary sewer main had failed and collapsed, and it caused the sinkhole.

RPI Underground Utility contractors were hired to restore the sewer flows with an emergency bypass pump operation at One Mile Creek at North Oak Street for $1,304,061.27.

An additional invoice of $7,405 was sent by Integrate for engineering and surveying work.

Brad Eyre, director of utilities, reported to council that the emergency work is necessary due to deterioration in existing sewer mains, which were installed nearly 70 years ago.

Valdosta is also scheduled to receive $630,163 through Housing and Urban Development for Fiscal Year 2023.

Anetra Riley, Neighborhood Development and Community Protections manager, said most of the funding will go to housing.

She also noted in her report to council that while the city is receiving $16,932 less than last year, the program will be making no changes to proposed activities.

When questioned by Councilmember Tim Carroll about the funding decrease, Riley said HUD representatives have only said to her that it “uses the formula based on our population.”

The only other expenditure item, the revised American Rescue Plan Act proposed projects and allocation amounts, was postponed to a later date at the recommendation of Richard Hardy, interim city manager.