Sewage spilling into Chattahoochee River 'one of the largest' in recent memory

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Sewage is spilling over into the Chattahoochee River in Cobb County, and the riverkeepers said it’s one of the worst spills in recent memory.

The county told Channel 2's Berndt Petersen it is still not sure what caused the failure at its sewage treatment plant.

Not far from the plant are large manholes that are just a few hundred feet from the river. That’s where the sewage is spilling out.

"This spill is one of the largest we've seen in recent history. (It's) flowing directly into the Chattahoochee River from the main trunk line," riverkeeper Jason Ulseth said.

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Another riverkeeper Mike Meyer said he took tests to figure out just how much bacteria is in the water.

"It's more likely to be off our charts and above our detectable limits," Meyer said.

Ulseth told Petersen that whatever you see "floating" in the water was flushed.

"This is everything we flush down our toilets and everything we put down our pipes that comes from clothes washing machines and all forms of homes and businesses," Ulseth said.

The county said drinking water is not affected by this spill.

Cox Media Group