LAFAYETTE, Ga. -- The special operations team of the Walker County Sheriff’s Department discovered a fully functioning moonshine still in the Waterville community Wednesday.

The still was operating on Cane Creek in the woods behind Waterville Baptist Church.

The still was located on property owned by Jim Dendy, who owns the Dixie Dye & Chemical plant on U.S. 27 in LaFayette. Dixie Dye is a wholesale supplier of quality dyes, pigments, and chemicals nationwide. Dendy could not be reached Thursday morning for comment.

“We received a tip in the last few days that someone was operating a still, located down on the creek, behind the (Waterville Baptist) church. Some of our special operations team members went in this morning to recon it and then they called me back and told me it was a go, that they had located it,” Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson said. “You just don’t see (a moonshine still) that is operating and working properly like this one is. It’s just a very rare find these days.”

According to Sheriff Wilson, no suspects have been identified at this time.

“This is the first one that I can recall that we have been involved in since I have been in office,” Sheriff Wilson said.

Numerous drums, cooking barrels, bottles, pipes, thumper boxes, and a “worm" used to cool the liquor were found around the still and were actively cooking moonshine.

Sugar, hops and sweet corn were used in the mash.

Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Pat Cook said, “I would guess (the still) has been here for some time.”

Asked how long do investigators think the still has been in operation, Sgt. Cook said, “When they (moon shiners) start cooking, they are here for the duration, however long that is. Right now, this is an active still. Because he’s got his mash over there fermenting. And all he or she is going to have to do is wait until they know they have the right fermentation on the mash. Then they will come back and start spooning it, or using buckets or whatever, and putting it into the cooker and cook it.

“At this point, we don’t really have anyone to prosecute, but it is illegal to (make moonshine), so what we are going to do is render it non-usable. We will be taking the parts of it into evidence with the Sheriff’s Department that are evidence of the crime, and everything else, then we will dispose of it and destroy it,” Sgt. Cook said of the still.

According to Sgt. Cook, there is serious doubt to be able to lift fingerprints off of the still.

Sgt. Cook said that the person operating the still most likely was at the scene within the week.

Obviously, we are charged with enforcing Georgia law,” Sheriff Wilson said, “and we have always been about upholding the law. And if we have evidence, or hear of someone cooking moonshine, we are going to investigate it and do what’s appropriate, and the law says that we are to dismantle it and arrest who is responsible. So we are charged with enforcing the law and we are going to carry out the law. That’s our duty.”