Forsyth County officials and the owner of a private sewer system in the exclusive Olde Atlanta Club have agreed to let the company address complaints about smells coming from the facility without the county inspecting the plant.
Neighbors and golfers have been complaining about sewage smells apparently emanating from the UOG Treatment Plant and Ponds, and both the smell and the number of complaints have increased in recent months, according to the county.
Two weeks ago Forsyth officials sought the intervention of the state attorney general and the Georgia Environmental Protection Division so the county could inspect the plant.
The Chicago-based company that has owned and operated the plant since 2002, Utilities Inc., had denied that request as tensions escalated between the county and the company since January.
Forsyth County District 2 Commissioner and Chairman Brian Tam, who has taken the lead in dealing with the problem in his district, said Tuesday an agreement had been reached between the county and the company at a Monday night meeting attended by about 20 people, including residents.
“They would like an opportunity to rectify the situation and they have 60 [to] 90 days to do it,” Tam said. As part of the agreement, the county will not inspect the plant, but the company provided residents with a phone number to report odor problems, Tam said.
John Stover, vice president and general counsel of the company, issued a statement, describing the two-hour meeting as “frank, friendly and productive.” The company has said it has only received three complaints about smells from the plant since 2009, none of them last year.
He said the company is committed to solving the “concerns expressed by home owners and association representatives” and to ensure "timely resolution of any issues that may arise in the future.”
Stover said last week that the source of the smells could be water storage ponds on the golf course, which are not the responsibility of his company to maintain.
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