EPD considers tougher standards for Savannah River

State officials say there's not enough dissolved oxygen in the Savannah River.

So Georgia's Environmental Protection Division is considering standards that may limit the amount of pollutants discharged along the river.

The EPD says the depletion of the dissolved oxygen could harm fish, such as the striped bass and the endangered sturgeon, in the Savannah River.

They've held public hearings in Augusta and Savannah, and will hold one in Atlanta on Monday.

Scientists say the dissolved oxygen breaks down the pollutants, like biochemicals, ammonia or other substances, found in industrial and municipal wastewater discharges.

But officials from the state's Environmental Protection Division say those discharges are too high, and are depleting the oxygen.

The EPD's proposed standards could lead to tougher restrictions on the discharges.

That could be expensive for the 64 cities and companies that own the wastewater treatment plants along the Savannah River.

"Our community has a lot of low income folks in it," says Allen Saxon, the assistant director for wastewater treatment for the Augusta utilities department. "Our community has a lot of low income folks in it. It could raise the rates to our users if we have to do this right away."

Saxon attended the public hearing in Augusta on Thursday.

The EPD's proposed standard sets an expectation for how much of the dissolved oxygen should be in the water. Any limitations expected of companies and municipalites would follow. The EPD could consider variances or schedules for them to comply.

As the public reviews the EPD standards, there is disagreement among the EPD and wastewater treatment plant owners on whether the the discharges upstream, such as in Augusta, have caused the lack of oxygen in the Savannah Harbor.

The EPD expects the standards to be finalized by December.