Atlanta airport reports 33,000-gallon sewage spill near runway

A sewage spill near a runway at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport released around 33,000 gallons into a wooded area, airport officials said Wednesday.

The spill occurred Tuesday at a sewer lift station near the west end of Runway 10-28. The sewage flowed into an area next to Sullivan Creek, according to an airport report.

The cause remains under investigation.

Airport officials said the lift station resumed normal operations about 90 minutes after the spill began. Crews applied a neutralizing agent to the affected ground and began monitoring water quality downstream in accordance with Georgia Environmental Protection Division requirements.

The spill did not disrupt flights or passenger services, and the airport continues to operate normally.

Hartsfield-Jackson issued the notice because publicly owned wastewater treatment agencies are legally required to notify the media when a sewage spill exceeds 10,000 gallons.

Airport officials said they are working with state and local partners to limit the spill's effects. The investigation remains ongoing.