Cobb County Communications Director Ross Cavitt issued another update on the continued testing of Lake Acworth waters after grease accumulation led to the clogging of a sewer line and a spill into the lake.

Here’s the update:

Cobb Water and the city of Acworth officials will continue advisories on lake access points as testing shows slightly elevated bacteria levels.  Testing started Friday after grease clogged a sewer line and caused an overflow near a creek that feeds into Lake Acworth.

Test results continue to show an elevated level of bacteria in the lake, even in locations not near the overflow. Heavy rains over the weekend likely contributed to those elevated readings. 

The levels remain below the point where a no-swimming advisory would be necessary.  People are advised to follow advisories posted by the city of Acworth at access points to Lake Acworth at Cauble and South Shore Parks.

Background

A sewer line at a creek that feeds into Lake Acworth became clogged with grease. The County water department believes the grease came from area residents and urges the public to avoid dumping Fats, Oil, and Grease (FOG) into drains.

Cobb County asked the media to publicize these links.

The articles pointed to by the links explain why dumping grease down the drain is so dangerous to the environment, to our water treatment system, and to the quality of our water:

Cobb Water’s FOG Information:

https://www.cobbcounty.org/water/education/water-quality/home/fog

Cobb’s Grease Management Program:  https://www.cobbcounty.org/water/compliance/grease-management/about

For updates on the situation, use this webpage:  https://www.cobbcounty.org/communications/news/sewage-spill-causes-request-close-access-lake-acworth-testing

The County’s original news release about the incident

Here is the original news release announcing the spill, distributed on Friday, August 16:

Sewage spill causes request to close access to Lake Acworth for testing

Acworth, Ga. (Aug. 16, 2024) — Cobb Water officials have asked the city of Acworth to close lake access at the Beach at Cauble Park following a sewage spill from a nearby manhole. Cobb Water crews investigating the spill noticed a fish kill in a nearby creek, which prompted the request. Crews are taking samples of the creek and nearby Lake Acworth waters for testing.

Even though the spill is well below what the state classifies as a “major spill,” the request was made out of an abundance of caution.  Acworth officials are assisting in putting out the proper notifications.

The spill occurred when crews were called to a report of sewage leaking from a manhole near a creek that feeds the lake.  Grease accumulation had blocked the line.  Crews cleared the line quickly but found the fish kill during their investigation. Recent hot weather has impacted the oxygen levels in the lake which exacerbated the problem.

People are urged to avoid contact with the water in the vicinity of Acworth Beach until test results are available. Results are expected Sunday.