If might look murky and smell stinky, but the water is safe to drink in Clayton County, officials said.
County officials first noticed last week the water being produced at a Stockbridge plant had a brownish color and musty odor, the Clayton County Water Authority said. The William J. Hooper Water Production Facility provides water service to customers in Forest Park, Conley, Rex, Morrow, Lake City, Riverdale, Ellenwood and Jonesboro.
Investigators tracked the water issues to the drainage of 12 million gallons of swamp water into a reservoir. A road crew apparently breached a beaver dam as it worked on the expansion of Eagles Landing Parkway, causing the wetlands to drain into the reservoir. Henry County spokeswoman Julie Ernst said the county had obtained permits from the state to drain the wetlands and the beavers were relocated.
On Tuesday, the Stockbridge plant was shut down, forcing the county to tap into reserves and other water sources.
"We know customers are worried that their water is not safe, but we want to assure them that their tap water is safe and continues to meet all state and federal regulations,” P. Michael Thomas, general manager of CCWA, said in a statement. “We have shut down the Hooper Plant and will continue to test and monitor the water coming into the plant before bringing it back online. Since we are no longer distributing water from the Hooper Plant, the taste and odor issues should be gone soon.”
Anyone with questions about the safety of the water is asked to call 770-961-2130, then press 2.
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