Federal and state environmental authorities are investigating DeKalb County's failure to report sewage spills that dump waste into neighborhoods.

The county last month acknowledged underreporting sewage overflows, an admission that comes as it's in the middle of a $1.35 billion upgrade of water and sewer systems.

DeKalb fired a watershed manager and has hired a company to conduct an independent investigation of the extent of the issue.

Environmental advocates say they suspect sewage spill underreporting could be widespread across the county.

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Passengers wait at a Delta check-in counter at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport domestic terminal on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, the first day of the Federal Aviation Administration cutting flight capacity at airports during the government shutdown. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com