‘Dangerously high levels’ of E. coli found in Chattahoochee River, environmental group says

By Atlanta News First staff

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    ATLANTA, Georgia (WANF) — An environmental group that monitors the Chattahoochee River says it detected “dangerously high levels” of E. coli downstream from an Atlanta wastewater treatment plant.

According to Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, the City of Atlanta’s R.M. Clayton Water Reclamation Center is the source of the issue.

The group said the bacteria was detected immediately downstream from the Marietta Boulevard/Atlanta Road bridge in northwest Atlanta, which isn’t far from the plant.

Chattahoochee Riverkeeper said the reclamation center is responsible for treating a large volume of the City of Atlanta’s sewage before it’s discharged in the river.

But leaders with Chattahoochee Riverkeeper said between March 4 and March 13, water quality testing they conducted showed E. coli levels at an average of 340 times higher than the amount recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for safe water recreation.

Advocates recommend that anyone who gets out on the river should use caution between Marietta Boulevard/Atlanta Bridge Road in Atlanta and the headwaters of West Point Lake.

Chattahoochee Riverkeeper said the great impact is “immediately downstream” of the R.M. Clayton plant.

“If you do come into contact with the water, river recreators should practice common sense hygiene practices like washing hands and disinfecting items that come into contact with the water,” the environmental group said.

The group said the drinking water in Fulton County and the wider metro Atlanta region is not affected. They said all source water is treated to meet drinking water standards.

In regard to wildlife, the group said they’re monitoring the impact, but as of March 14, “there have been no indications of a fish kill as a result of the discharge.”

They claim this is the second failure at a major wastewater treatment plant in metro Atlanta in less than a year, adding that last summer there was a failure at the Big Creek Water Reclamation Facility in Fulton County.

A spokesperson from the City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management said in a statement that “there has not been a sewer spill” at the the R.M. Clayton facility, and that the department “is currently performing corrective and preventive maintenance on multiple secondary clarifiers at the plant due to mechanical failures that were caused by high flows during intense rain events.”

The spokesperson said additional disinfectants are being introduced to lower the levels of E. coli in the river.

“We conduct ongoing monitoring and sampling, and in the event of elevated E. coli levels, we take proactive measures to mitigate their impact and collaborate with the EPD (Environmental Protection Division) to address them,” the spokesperson said.

The department spokesperson’s full statement sent to Atlanta News First can be read below:

“There has not been a sewer spill at the RM Clayton Water Reclamation Center. RM Clayton is operational and online. The Department of Watershed Management (DWM) is currently performing corrective and preventive maintenance on multiple secondary clarifiers at the plant due to mechanical failures that were caused by high flows during intense rain events.

It is worth noting that secondary clarifiers play a pivotal role in wastewater treatment processes, removing additional pollutants and contaminants that might have escaped the primary treatment stage.

DWM has developed a mitigation plan for the clarifiers, which involves repairing critical mechanical units sequentially. Eight mobile clarifier units have been deployed during the repair of the existing clarifiers to aid in clarification and remove additional pollutants. DWM initiated these maintenance efforts to ensure optimal treatment performance and infrastructure reliability. At present, additional disinfectants are being introduced to lower the levels of E.coli. We conduct ongoing monitoring and sampling, and in the event of elevated E.coli levels, we take proactive measures to mitigate their impact and collaborate with the EPD to address them.

These maintenance efforts signify DWM’s commitment to ensuring optimal treatment performance and infrastructure reliability.”

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