Lake Acworth deemed safe after sewer line overflow last week
Lake Acworth (Acworth Parks, Recreation and Community Resource Department)
COBB COUNTY, Ga. - The city of Acworth has removed advisories along Lake Acworth access points after tests for bacteria returned to baseline levels.
Testing started Friday after grease clogged a sewer line and caused an overflow near a creek that feeds into the lake, according to a press release.
Heavy rains over the weekend likely contributed to higher-than-normal bacteria readings the past few days.
Residents were advised to limit exposure to the water. Those advisories are no longer in place.
Cobb Water continues to advise residents to avoid putting FOG (fats, oils, and grease) into the sewage system. More details can be found at https://www.cobbcounty.org/water/education/water-quality/home/fog
ORIGINAL STORY
Cobb County officials are waiting for new test results after a sewage spill shut down Lake Acworth.
The lake has been closed since Friday when officials say an "accumulation of grease in a sewer line" caused a spill in a creek that flows into the body of water.
While the blockage was quickly cleared, the county closed lake access to do testing on the water.
The testing over the weekend showed elevated bacteria levels, which may have been partly due to the recent heavy rain.
While the bacteria levels are below the threshold for swimming, officials say access will remain restricted out of caution until they receive new results on Monday.
Officials say the event is an example of why residents should not introduce fats, oils, and grease into the sewage system.