Northwest Atlanta residents complain of strong, lingering odor from water treatment plant

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Residents living in a Northwest Atlanta community are concerned about a strong, lingering odor coming from a nearby water treatment plant.

Marc Fraser said the smell has always been around the R.M. Clayton Water Treatment plant on Bolton Road, but it hasn’t stretched as far as his Riverside neighborhood.

“Normally Atlanta Highway is right near the Chattahoochee River area and you just accepted it,” Fraser said, about the odor. “It’s what you smelled, you turn your AC off in that area, but recently over the last couple days it has crept into the neighborhoods.”

According to Fraser and multiple other residents, the smell filled homes and caused some to feel sick.

Fraser said they want to know when the smell will go away and if it’s safe.

Atlanta News First reached out to the Atlanta Department of Watershed Management to find out.

In a statement, they said:

This morning, the Department of Watershed Management’s primary influent odor control unit at R.M. Clayton was not operational. However, as of 10:00 a.m., the system is operating and functioning correctly. Neighbors should notice a decrease in odors.

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