FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Fulton County officials say they have made major progress in cleaning up the Chattahoochee River.

A 15-mile stretch across Fulton and Cobb County is closed after partially treated sewage spilled into the river.

Channel 2 Action News reporter Ashli Lincoln was at the water facility where they’re seeing progress with the biologic process.

The latest samples are still showing high levels of E. coli.

Fulton County Public Works Director David Clark says they are monitoring seven sections of the Chattahoochee River.

This all started last week when leaders say an unknown chemical got into the system and prevented the wastewater from being thoroughly cleaned and processed.

The county has trucked in good bacteria - basically water insects for this process to work. Good bacteria will begin eating the E. coli that are currently in the river.

Clark says right now five out of the seven sections are showing signs of improvement.

“It’s a biological process. It’s not nearly as quick as any of us would like. It is something that has to take the time we are hopeful in the next 24 to 48 hours,” Clark said.

This week the county brought in 40 truckloads of good bacteria. Clark says this process does not include placing chemicals in the water and it’ll be up to biology to determine how quickly these levels go down.

“It’s not like a broken sewer pipe, like once you have a broken sewer pipe you replace that section of pipe with a new section, the problem goes away. This is a biological process, we literally have to let the bugs microorganisms grow so they can do their job in the treatment of wastewater” Clark said.

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