Lake Ruby Water Issue

Residents,

The Ruby Forest HOA Board wanted to give you an update on what is happening at Lake Ruby and the creek that feeds the lake.

During the first week of February 2022, some residents noticed some dead fish accumulating against the dam at the back of the lake. We notified the City of Suwanee about our observations promptly and they sent some representatives from the Public Works department to inspect the issue. After verifying the 'fish kill' episode, the city hired a private contractor to perform water testing.

The contractor began their water tests in the lake and up the creek bed. During the process of testing, the contractor identified a potential sewer issue in the creek bed below Ribbon Leaf View. After presenting their discovery to the City, the City notified Gwinnett County who coordinates the underground sewers for our neighborhood. A leak was discovered in the sewer line and Gwinnett County repaired the leak during the second week of February. The water sample test results indicated low levels of oxygen in the water as a result of the sewer leak. This ultimately led to the dead fish that were viewed by our residents.

As is protocol for this situation, Gwinnett County informed the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) of the spill. Georgia EPD is handling the public notification and corrective action requirements for the leak. We are working with the city, county, and state to try to get a better understanding of what is required to rectify the issue. At this point, it is our understanding that the lake will require a licensed clean up and ongoing water quality testing for a period of time. They are also making corrections to the sewer access points in the creek area. We are asking for more details on the process and schedule so we can keep our residents informed.

Observationally, the first steps to the process appear to be to treat the contaminated area with lime to mitigate the odor. This happened last week. Now, ground crews appear to be clearing a pathway for some equipment to reach the area in question to make some additional repairs and clear out contaminated soil. We don't have any clear guidance about the safety of fishing and boating activities on the lake. We advise residents to abstain from these activities until approval from the authorities.

Additionally, although the Ruby Forest Board is not providing any payments or services in support of the repair, please direct any questions you have about the project to the HOA grounds representative Kevin Maguire (grounds@rubyforest.net). This will hopefully limit conflicting requests for information that might slow the process and cause confusion. He will pass your questions onto the representatives from Suwanee Public Works, Gwinnett County Operations, and Georgia EPD. Regards, Ruby Forest Board