What’s in Your Water: A Dive into the Pollutants in Athens’s Rivers

The North and Middle Oconee Rivers are two of the main sources of drinking water for people in Athens-Clarke County and surrounding areas. In reality, these waterways are littered with pollutants, ranging from micro-scale to large-scale. At a micro-level, e-coli and bacteria thrive due to run-off from urban development and chemical dumps. At a larger-scale, volunteers for nonprofits in Athens, such as Keep Athens-Clarke County Beautiful, find hundreds of tires every year. Some of the more extreme finds in these waterways include guns, mattresses and couches. While pollutants pose a major problem for the drinking water, there is still hope to reach a more sustainable future.