One month after a fish kill occurred in the South River, the cause is still up for debate.
Discovered by a man walking his dog on June 27, the South River Watershed Alliance, the City of Atlanta, and the state’s environmental protection department cannot agree on what sparked the death of more than 1,250 minnow and catfish.
The City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management (DWM) was originally blamed for a chemical spill from the South River Water Reclamation Center, while the Georgia Environmental Protection Division’s (EPD) initial report disagreed.
Now, DWM is doubling down. The department released a statement that said after reviewing the EPD’s report, they disagree with its conclusion.
“Preliminary findings previously determined that the chemical spill from the South River Water Reclamation Center did not directly cause the fish kill, and DWM continues to believe there is insufficient evidence establishing a definitive causal connection between the incident and the observed fish mortality,” the DWM statement said.
DWM claims it has fully cooperated with EPD, and all regulatory agencies, by providing operational records, environmental sampling data, and technical expertise.
“There is no direct evidence demonstrating that any chemicals reached the South River, and water quality samples collected by DWM following the incident were within normal ranges for iron concentrations,” DWM said.
On June 26, the basement of the reclamation center flooded with 3,800 gallons of ferric chloride. DWM staff shut off water, bypassing the damaged line, and pumped water from the basement into the aeration basins. Ferric chloride mixed with reuse water, potentially entering the stormwater system. DWM reported that the solution may have exited the building through cracks and flowed along pavement to a storm drain that discharges to the South River.
The EPD report revealed that “water quality data from the United States Geological Survey gauge located on the South River at Forrest Park Road … indicated a prolonged discharge event rather than a short-duration pulse. These water quality changes are consistent with the release of a strong acidic solution.”
The report states: “Because wastewater treatment facilities commonly utilize acidic chemicals, including ferric chloride, for processes such as coagulation, phosphorus reduction, sludge conditioning, and odor control, WRD notified the EPD of the confirmed fish kill and identified the SRWRC as a potential source due to its proximity to the upper extent of the fish kill zone.”
Jacqueline Echols, board president of the South River Watershed Alliance, maintains that the City of Atlanta is responsible for the fish kill.
“The investigation by Georgia Environmental Protection Department and the Department of Natural Resources has established that the City of Atlanta is at fault for the spill that resulted in the fish kill. Both agencies provided corroborated detailed findings vs Atlanta’s uncorroborated self-serving denial,” Echols said.
DWM said it “remains committed to transparency, accountability, and science-based review of all available evidence.”
“We take every environmental incident seriously and have continued to evaluate and strengthen operational practices while supporting the ongoing review process,” DWM said.
But South River Watershed Alliance still has questions.
“By the City’s own admission, the chemical spill did originate from the facility and the chemical solution spilled did kill the fish, making these two events the direct cause of the fish kill. This is a current example of why the city’s Watershed Department has a longstanding credibility problem when it comes to the South River,” Echols added.
The South River is located in DeKalb County and City of Atlanta. It flows 60 miles southeast from metro Atlanta to Jackson Lake, where it becomes the Ocmulgee River. It is a headwater to the largest freshwater system in the state.
