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Infiltration Forums > US: Southeast > My first UE experience (Atlanta draining)(Viewed 1254 times)
Floodway location:
Colorado Springs
 
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My first UE experience (Atlanta draining)
< on 10/4/2019 11:09 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER ForumQuote
So, I’m pretty much a total newbie to UE, but I found this site, have been doing a ton of reading, and recently, went on my first draining trip! For a week or so I had been running around near me, seeking out possible locations, and I ended up finding a really good one. It’s probably familiar to some Atlanta folks, I’ve seen some photos of a similar location on here before and I’m sure they’re probably connected.
I didn’t know how wet it was going to be and so opted not to take my camera-- so, apologies for the low-quality phone photos.

The tunnel I entered through was huge-- It was rectangular and I was able to ride my bike inside easily. When I switched on my headlamp, I was surprised at how little it illuminated the tunnel-- the darkness was incredible, just stretching out in front of me. I ended up using my second flashlight in combination with my headlamp to get better illumination.
I biked for a few minutes down this huge tunnel, which was surprisingly dry, and eventually stopped because I saw light up ahead. I wondered if it was another explorer, sunlight from a grate, or somebody camped out. Got off my bike and stood for a minute watching the light-- it never flickered or moved, so I figured it wasn’t a person, and advanced. Turns out, the rectangular tunnel opened up into another, bigger room, illuminated by huge yellowish lights mounted to the ceiling. I was totally in awe-- this was not what I was expecting at all, I didn’t know that people ever artificially illuminated tunnels, I guess I just assumed that workers would come in with their own illumination. There was a big ladder on the floor, another sign of human activity that I wasn’t really expecting.
I ended up staying in this big room and not venturing any further, this time-- my nerves were high, this being my first expedition, and I didn’t want to run into anybody else. There were also a *lot* of spiders, some of which looked like black widows, and a ton of mosquitos-- I wanted to avoid bites and so I left fairly quickly. Will definitely be bring bug spray next time. I’m looking forward to going back and venturing deeper.

Anyways, I know it’s a pretty dull little adventure to all you seasoned explorers, but I was pretty excited to have found such a big system near me and will definitely be posting as I explore further.
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There's more to life than what you see on the surface...
Mr. Bitey location:
Milwaukee, WI
 
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Re: My first UE experience (Atlanta draining)
<Reply # 1 on 10/4/2019 11:38 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER ForumQuote
Posted by TireTracks
I’m looking forward to going back and venturing deeper.



Me too! Looks like a fun space - nice find!



Give abandonment a reason for its sacrificial reclamation to nature. Love it. Remember it. Take a picture. Share it. Leave the decay to nature.

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blackhawk
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location:
Mission Control
 
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Re: My first UE experience (Atlanta draining)
<Reply # 2 on 10/4/2019 11:44 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER ForumQuote
Well done.
We like pics... welcome to UER



Just when I thought I was out... they pulled me back in.
Cfourexplore location:
North Carolina
 
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Re: My first UE experience (Atlanta draining)
<Reply # 3 on 10/4/2019 11:50 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER ForumQuote
Nice writeup, cool pics...looks like fun. 😃 Good luck on your return trip, and welcome to UER!



"When you've truly done something right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all."
goon1 location:
Atlanta & Bay Area
 
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Re: My first UE experience (Atlanta draining)
<Reply # 4 on 10/7/2019 10:10 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER ForumQuote
Cool first experience! Welcome to UER as someone else commented, "We like pics" so if you find anything cool, post it!

I've never gone draining, but I did stumble across a site dedicated to exploring tunnels and drains a couple of weeks ago and found it all pretty interesting.

If you're interested in meeting up sometime, PM me. Welcome to Atlanta Urbex.



1footinthegrave location:
Atlanta, GA USA
 
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Re: My first UE experience (Atlanta draining)
<Reply # 5 on 10/8/2019 12:35 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER ForumQuote
Posted by TireTracks
So, I’m pretty much a total newbie to UE, but I found this site, have been doing a ton of reading, and recently, went on my first draining trip!



Well - welcome! I will first congratulate you on a great find and trip. Now I will be an old person and issue a caution. If you didn't know, good ol' ATL has combined storm surge drains with the "regular" sewers. You will find much more than spiders and mosquitos. You will find dysentery, you will find West Nile virus.etc etc.

That I can say can be avoided with some basic PPE. What I really worry about is flash flooding.

With the storm drains connected to basically ALL drains in Atlanta, including aforementioned lovely sewer, the propensity for flash flooding in Atlanta due to our largely clay soil and shitty urban planning (too many people - not enough land to accommodate the non point source runoff from development etc - you are in real danger in a drain in Atlanta. Don't underestimate that you may have NO idea what is happening only 5 miles away. Don't underestimate the weather people are wrong with the forecast. Please play SAFE and remember the entity you are dealing with. That drain can fill up and sweep you away before you can get out....before you even know you are in trouble.

Please. Be and stay - SAFE.

ok, I will stop now.

-1foot






Xiketic location:
Bay Area, CA/ATL, GA
 
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Re: My first UE experience (Atlanta draining)
<Reply # 6 on 10/8/2019 6:49 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER ForumQuote
Posted by 1footinthegrave
If you didn't know, good ol' ATL has combined storm surge drains with the "regular" sewers. You will find much more than spiders and mosquitos. You will find dysentery, you will find West Nile virus.etc etc.


Wait a minute... is that why there isn't too much of a draining community in Atlanta? (as far as I know)



More of my photos: https://www.instagram.com/xiketic_urbex/
1footinthegrave location:
Atlanta, GA USA
 
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Re: My first UE experience (Atlanta draining)
<Reply # 7 on 10/11/2019 11:41 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER ForumQuote
Posted by Xiketic


Wait a minute... is that why there isn't too much of a draining community in Atlanta? (as far as I know)


I can't speak to that, I don't drain bc of what I know re. the microbiological risks due to Atlanta infrastructure. We knew back a couple decades ago that Atlantas infrastructure was never designed for this many people - not even close - and the pressure from the populous would cause sinkholes and collapsed drains if nothing was done. In typical fashion, nothing was done and now they are starting to correct a problem they have known about for decades. They just waited until they actually saw what us dumb ol' scientists told them. They don't like listening to women scientist in Atlanta...(I'm getting off topic). Anyway, that's why you see so many roads having collapses/sinkholes. The pressure and combined system.

As for how I know all this - its both a matter of public record if you so chose to seek it out AND I speak from a platform of experience. During college I worked for the state doing water quality testing and monitoring intakes around Atlanta. I'm now in infectious disease at a federal facility, but still a microbiologist with a specialty in water quality, biofilms and outbreak response.

Combining the issues with collapsed drains from infrastructure strain AND the fact that the storm drains combine with overflow to the sewers - yeah.....in the words of 1990s Homey Da Clown "Homey Don't Play that" I'll stay out of the drains.

If anyone MUST do this, please take appropriate precautions to ward off the MANY biological, chemical and physical hazards of Atlanta drains.







fruitbats location:
Alabama
 
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Re: My first UE experience (Atlanta draining)
<Reply # 8 on 11/4/2019 9:43 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER ForumQuote
This looks like a super cool first spot! I hope you post more pictures if/when you go back, and be safe!



Floodway location:
Colorado Springs
 
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Re: My first UE experience (Atlanta draining)
<Reply # 9 on 5/15/2020 9:03 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER ForumQuote
Posted by 1footinthegrave


Well - welcome! I will first congratulate you on a great find and trip. Now I will be an old person and issue a caution. If you didn't know, good ol' ATL has combined storm surge drains with the "regular" sewers. You will find much more than spiders and mosquitos. You will find dysentery, you will find West Nile virus.etc etc.

That I can say can be avoided with some basic PPE. What I really worry about is flash flooding.

With the storm drains connected to basically ALL drains in Atlanta, including aforementioned lovely sewer, the propensity for flash flooding in Atlanta due to our largely clay soil and shitty urban planning (too many people - not enough land to accommodate the non point source runoff from development etc - you are in real danger in a drain in Atlanta. Don't underestimate that you may have NO idea what is happening only 5 miles away. Don't underestimate the weather people are wrong with the forecast. Please play SAFE and remember the entity you are dealing with. That drain can fill up and sweep you away before you can get out....before you even know you are in trouble.

Please. Be and stay - SAFE.

ok, I will stop now.

-1foot





Hi, thanks for the response! Apologies for such a late reply, I've been inactive on this site for a little while.
Anyhow, yeah, the combined system has made me quite careful about draining in Atlanta. I haven't been back to this spot yet, but I went on a sunny day without a cloud in sight. Even so, I didn't go very deep inside because I tend to be a little over-cautious. Better careful than dead, I say!

I appreciate the warnings about flash flooding, and will definitely be sure to check the forecast in a wide, wide radius before I decide to return to the drains there. I'm in Colorado now, and while flash flooding is still quite a concern, it's lovely to have some clean (by comparison) drains!




There's more to life than what you see on the surface...
Infiltration Forums > US: Southeast > My first UE experience (Atlanta draining)(Viewed 1254 times)
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