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Chattahoochee River waters deemed safe after E.coli spike

By FOX 5 Atlanta Digital Team
Updated  March 18, 2024 9:41pm EDT
Atlanta
FOX 5 Atlanta

ATLANTA - The water in the Chattahoochee River is safe once again, according to the Atlanta Department of Water Management, after a recent spike in bacteria levels.

Atlanta Department of Watershed Management Commissioner Mikita K. Browning released a statement on Monday which reads:

"Today, the E.coli levels have decreased to 100 MPN/100ml, which is considered safe. As confirmed previously, there was no sewer spill at the RM Clayton Water Reclamation Center, and the facility has remained operational and online.

"In the event of elevated E. Coli levels, we take proactive measures to mitigate their impact and collaborate with the Georgia Environmental Protection Division to address them. The Department of Watershed Management worked diligently to decrease these levels by introducing disinfectants and modifying dosing. Mobile and Secondary clarifier units were also deployed to aid in the removal of additional pollutants that might have escaped the primary treatment stage, and DWM continues ongoing monitoring and sampling.

"These maintenance efforts signify our commitment to ensuring optimal treatment performance and infrastructure reliability."

What caused the Chattahoochee River bacteria spike?

Last week, the Chattahoochee Riverkeeper sounded the alarm of high levels of E.coli detected in the water after

"We test and monitor over 200 locations up and down the Chattahoochee River, from Helen all the way down to Columbus. For the 70-mile stretch of river from Atlanta down to the headwaters of West Point Lake, we are seeing elevated levels of E. coli," Chattahoochee Riverkeepers Executive Director Jason Ulseth told FOX 5 on Friday.

High E. coli levels found in Chattahoochee River

The Chattahoochee Riverkeeper are calling it an emergency situation after elevated levels of E. coli have been detected, making it unsafe for people to even be in the water.

The problem originated at the RM Clayton Water Reclamation Center in Atlanta, which typically releases around 80-million gallons of treated sewage into the river every day.

Friday marked the first time watershed managers commented on the issue, but Ulseth said this has been a problem for weeks now. He said the only reason there are not a lot of dead fish right now is because the Army Corps of Engineers is draining Lake Lanier. 

"Because of this kind of magic condition that's happening with all the releases from Beaver Dam. So, we have a lot of fresh, clean water coming out of the bottom of the lake that's coming in and diluting the system. When that stops, we're going to have a different story," he said.

Watershed officials say eight mobile clarifiers were deployed to make up for the damaged ones, and they have now added additional disinfectants to lower levels of E. coli in the water.

The Chattahoochee Riverkeeper organization has not responded to this latest statement.