ATLANTA — People are advised by Chattahoochee Riverkeeper to keep out of the area downstream of the Marietta Boulevard/Atlanta Road bridge in metro Atlanta after elevated levels of E. coli bacteria were detected.
Reports from Chattahoochee Riverkeeper said the source was traced back to the City of Atlanta’s R.M. Clayton Water Reclamation Center (WRC.)
The reclamation center treats a significant portion of Atlanta’s sewage. According to riverkeepers, it is currently in violation of its National Pollutant Discharge and Elimination System (NPDES) permit.
Although permitted to discharge 100 million gallons per day of treated wastewater into the Chattahoochee River, the recent findings indicate a failure to meet this standard.
This marks the second failure at a major wastewater treatment facility in metro Atlanta within a year, following a similar event at the Big Creek Water Reclamation Facility in 2023, the riverkeeper noted.
Daily water quality testing by riverkeepers between March 4 and March 13 revealed E. coli levels averaging 340 times higher than the EPA's recommended safe levels for water recreation. Such high bacterial content poses serious health risks, particularly for vulnerable populations like children, the elderly and individuals with compromised immune systems.
As a precautionary measure, Chattahoochee Riverkeeper advises against recreational activities in the river downstream of the Marietta Boulevard/Atlanta Road bridge until bacterial levels return to safe ranges. Adding that recreation upstream of Atlanta Road and in the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area remains unaffected.
Despite concerns, drinking water in Fulton County and the broader metro Atlanta region was unaffected, as all source water undergoes treatment to meet drinking water standards.
The impact of the discharge on wildlife is being closely monitored by Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, with no reported fish kills as of March 14.
Efforts are underway to address the issue and restore water quality to acceptable levels, ensuring the safety and well-being of both residents and wildlife in the affected areas.
For those seeking more information, Chattahoochee Riverkeeper provides water quality data from across the Chattahoochee River watershed on their website.