February 4, 2026 – Chattahoochee Riverkeeper (CRK) and the City of Atlanta have reached a settlement agreement over a Clean Water Act lawsuit regarding the R.M. Clayton Water Reclamation Facility.
CRK, represented by CRK’s General Counsel Stephanie Stutts and the Southern Environmental Law Center, filed the lawsuit in September 2024 after routine water quality testing revealed R.M. Clayton – the largest wastewater treatment plant in Georgia – was releasing dangerously elevated levels of E. coli bacteria in the Chattahoochee River.
CRK filed the Clean Water Act lawsuit to ensure the City acted immediately to address operational and maintenance failures threatening water quality, people, and wildlife in the Chattahoochee River Basin.
Under the new leadership of Commissioner Greg Eyerly, Atlanta DWM reaffirmed its commitment to the river by making necessary upgrades and repairs at R.M. Clayton. As a result of this work, R.M. Clayton is in compliance with its wastewater discharge permit today. These investments in clean water will safeguard the health of the Chattahoochee River now and for generations to come.
CRK applauds the Atlanta Department of Watershed Management (DWM) for investing millions of dollars in new equipment, upgrades, and repairs at R.M. Clayton. As a result, ongoing monitoring by CRK has not detected elevated levels of E. coli bacteria at the facility’s outfall since September 2024.
These investments have already improved water quality in the Chattahoochee River for Atlanta residents and communities downstream. With the resolution of this lawsuit, CRK looks forward to working with the City to protect water quality in the Chattahoochee River for the benefit of all the people and wildlife that depend on it.
How did the R.M. Clayton facility pollute the Chattahoochee River?
R.M. Clayton is one of the largest wastewater treatment plants in the Southeast and is the largest in Georgia. It receives and treats approximately 100 million gallons of the City’s wastewater every day before sending treated, clean water back into the Chattahoochee River.
In 2024, routine testing by CRK traced high levels of bacteria in the Chattahoochee River back to R.M. Clayton. Subsequent inspections conducted by Georgia EPD found that the facility was in a state of disrepair and its equipment was unable to fully treat wastewater. This improperly treated wastewater threatened the health of the river, people, and wildlife.
Will the City have to pay fines for its violations at R.M. Clayton?
Yes, the City of Atlanta has already been fined. Last year, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) fined the city nearly $300,000 for 94 wastewater spills that occurred between July 2023 and November 2024.
Will CRK continue to monitor R.M. Clayton?
Yes. CRK regularly monitors wastewater treatment facilities throughout the Chattahoochee River Basin and will always continue doing so.
Is it safe to recreate on the Chattahoochee River in Atlanta?
CRK tests water quality in the Chattahoochee River every week and continues to monitor the wastewater outfall at R.M. Clayton. We have not detected harmful levels of bacteria at the R.M. Clayton outfall since September 2024.
Water quality is generally very good in the Chattahoochee River. We always recommend that river users exercise caution on the water for 48 hours after it rains, when the river is high and muddy. You can learn more about our water quality monitoring programs here.
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