Elevated E. coli levels in the Chattahoochee River near Columbus

COLUMBUS, Ga. – A Georgia conservation group is issuing a water quality alert after finding signs of possible sewage discharge along a stretch of the Chattahoochee River.

The Chattahoochee River Keeper posted on Facebook on Wednesday about this issue.

The group says it collected water samples from the Phenix City, Alabama wastewater treatment plant, just across the Georgia-Alabama border near Columbus.

The group said it saw signs that “inadequately treated wastewater” from the plant was flowing into the Chattahoochee River along the state line, and tests had confirmed an increase in E. coli bacteria levels in the river immediately downstream from Phenix City and Columbus.

The group is now warning river visitors to “exercise caution” below the facility, as there is a high risk of contamination with harmful bacteria. The group said water quality in the whitewater stream above the facility was not affected.

The following is recommended for river dwellers:

• Avoid complete immersion under water
• Wash hands after contact with water
• Special caution is required for small children, the elderly and immunocompromised persons.

The Chattahoochee River Keeper said it will provide updates as it continues to monitor discharge from the Alabama power plant and other power plants in the Chattahoochee River basin.

The new warning comes just months after the Chattahoochee River Keeper issued a warning for another part of the river earlier this year.

Back in March, the Chattahoochee River Keeper sent out a warning asking people to avoid the area below the RM Clayton Water Reclamation Center in Atlanta. The center treats much of Atlanta’s wastewater, and the River Keeper noted that high levels of E. coli bacteria were detected in the river at the time. However, the city’s water supply was never at risk.

Just last week, the city of Atlanta agreed to pay a $163,000 settlement after state authorities said the water plant polluted the river more than 69 times in a single year.