A sewer line blockage in the city of Lula Sunday afternoon caused more than 3,200 gallons of raw sewage to spill into a tributary of Hagen Creek, which feeds into the Chattahoochee River.

Lula city manager Dennis Bergin said the incident occurred near the corner of Carter and Athens streets.

“There was a blockage of debris, possibly a root ball (of a tree), about 100 feet past a manhole, which caused sewage to back up,” Bergin said.

He said the line ultimately goes to the city’s sewage treatment pond. After workers cleared the blockage, they began checking between other manholes to make sure the rest of the line was clear.

Even though the spill was not classified as major, the city notified the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, which has a no-tolerance policy for spills into the Chattahoochee basin.