Cobb County

Heavy rain expected to cause high E. coli levels in Chattahoochee

COBB COUNTY, Ga, — Heavy rain on the way means the Chattahoochee River is at risk for elevated levels of E. coli.

If you go in the water when the levels are high, you could get really sick. With heavy rain, a lot gets washed into the river, and we’re not just talking trash - it's the stuff you can't necessarily see.

Devin Rehm told Channel 2’s Lauren Pozen that not many things will keep her from missing her daily run along the Chattahoochee River.

“It’s nice to be along the trees, running along the river. It’s just really pretty and peaceful,” Rehm said. “When the levels rise, sometimes I will just run around on the sidewalks instead."

Pozen checked with the Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, and he told her he’s expecting not just water levels to rise, but levels of E. coli because of the incoming rain event Severe Weather Team 2 has been telling you about.

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“We are talking about these heavy rains that wash out contaminants from our parking lots, our roads, our dog parks and can also overwhelm our sewer lines and septic tanks and wash some of these contaminants here in the Chattahoochee River," Chattahoochee Riverkeeper Jason Ulseth said.

The riverkeeper said levels of E. coli are checked weekly.

“It is completely natural for it to run into whatever local creek, stream, river you have. In an urban environment, you have more potential for the fecal matter to elevate those levels,” said Severe Weather Team 2 Meteorologist Katie Walls.

Ulseth said when levels are high, water will look murky and you should stay away. But if you have to get in the water, he told Pozen that people will need to protect themselves.

“By covering open sores and making sure you don’t come in contact with the river -- your mouth, your nose or your ears,” Ulseth said.

The Riverkeeper said the results of the E. coli testing will take about 18 hours to process.