Cobb wastewater leaks continue into Lake Alatoona, 3rd time in a month where millions of gallons of wastewater dumped into popular waterway

Cobb County Water System has reported a spill of 3.9 million gallons of treated wastewater that did not meet Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) standards into Lake Allatoona this week. The spill was discovered on Thursday after routine sampling revealed the issue. While county officials assure that the water was disinfected and will not impact the drinking water supply, the incident raises concerns about the lake’s environmental health.

Lake Allatoona, a popular destination for hiking and boating, has now faced multiple wastewater issues. County officials stated that the 3.85 million gallons released on Wednesday do not qualify as a spill by their standards, although media outlets and members of the community 0000disagree. This incident, classified as a “spill” by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD), was associated with the Northwest Water Reclamation Facility, located on Old 41 Highway NW in Kennesaw. The exact location of the wastewater released into the lake remains unknown.

This latest spill follows two earlier spills, totaling over 12 million gallons of similarly substandard treated wastewater, from the Northwest Water Reclamation Facility on May 21 and 22, days before Memorial Day weekend for the popular lake. It is uncertain how this latest spill will impact hiking, boating, and other recreational activities on the lake during the 4th of July holiday.

County officials have reiterated that they are investigating the cause of these spills and are committed to resolving the issue.