More than 12,000 gallons of sanitary sewer overflowed from two Riviera Utilities sewer facilities on Sunday after heavy rainfall gave additional strain to the utility’s wastewater collection system.

The overflows occurred on Oct. 4 at the Victoria Place Lift Station and Pebble Creek Lift Station in Foley. The incidents resulted from more than 5 inches of rain falling over a 12-hour period, with rainfall rates exceeding 2 inches per hour at times, according to Riviera Utilities.

At the Victoria Place Lift Station near 2919 S. Juniper St., nearly 5,940 gallons overflowed from a nearby manhole, Riviera Utilities said.

The lift station had been temporarily taken out of service while a corrosion-resistant liner was being installed. After the overflow began, Riviera Utilities put the station back to work to help manage the overflow and to pump wastewater to the treatment plant.

The nearest creek to the overflow site is 1.25 miles away, and the wastewater’s final destination was ultimately identified as Boggy Branch.

The second overflow occurred at the Pebble Creek Lift Station near 1102 Melbourne Court. Riviera Utilities reported approximately 6,190 gallons of overflow at that location, with Bon Secour being the final receiving destination.

According to Riviera Utilities, excessive pressures to the sewer force main prevented the Pebble Creek station’s pumps from moving the wastewater into the system at their regular flow rate.

The two incidents resulted in nearly 12,130 gallons of wastewater overflow from the sewer system combined.

Information about the incidents were submitted to the Alabama Department of Environmental Management.

Residents are recommended to proceed with caution when participating in recreational activities in the affected waterways. Seafood caught in these areas should be cooked thoroughly, and people should wash their hands thoroughly after handling seafood from affected waters.

Gabriella Chavez is a Report for America corps member who writes about growth and development in Baldwin County and our natural spaces for Gulf Coast Media. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today.