Cobb residents told to avoid Sewell Mill Creek after major sewage spill

Residents have been urged to avoid exposure to the water near Sewell Mill Creek after Cobb County’s Water System issued an advisory that over 100,000 gallons of untreated sewage leaked at a line near Sewell Mill Creek, just north of East Cobb Park.  

Signage has been posted along the creek, warning passersby of the hazard and asking residents to avoid exposure to the water.

The leak began Friday night, according to the Water System, where a sewer line experienced a structural failure on Pimlico Court in Marietta. 

This led to an overflow with a volume of about 152,750 gallons of sewage. Work crews placed a bypass pump to alleviate overflow and County officials said the overflow stopped around 12:45 a.m. Saturday. Definitive testing will be conducted downstream, including monitoring bacteria levels in the creek, which could take up to 25 hours or more to obtain results.

The Georgia Environmental Protection Division was notified and Cobb says County Water System employees are following EPD protocols.