Along a stretch of the Haw River known for tubing, swimming and quiet afternoons on the water, a different kind of presence has drawn concern in recent months. It’s one that residents say they can smell before they see.
Community complaints about foul odors near the Saxapahaw Wastewater Treatment Plant prompted advocates to begin testing the river. What they found, according to the Haw River Assembly, were levels of Escherichia coli bacteria so high that some samples exceeded what laboratories could measure without dilution. Emily Suttion, riverkeeper with the Haw River Assembly, said the results were unprecedentedly high.
“We have documented discharges of high levels of E. coli bacteria,” Sutton said. “Levels that have been so high that they’ve actually been higher than our labs can read.”
The area in question is not remote. A park sits directly across the river from the plant and is frequently used by swimmers. Outfitters upstream send kayakers and tubers through the same waters. For Sutton, that proximity raises the stakes.
Exposure to E. coli can cause severe gastrointestinal distress, including diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and fever, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Haw River Assembly began sampling after residents in Saxapahaw reported persistent odors coming from the facility a few months ago. The group collected water samples and shared their findings with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality.
When conditions did not improve, the organization formally requested the agency reopen the plant’s permit with the support of the Southern Environmental Law Center.
At the center of the issue is a regulatory gap. The Saxapahaw plant’s current permit does not include limits for fecal bacteria like E. coli. It’s a fact Sutton said is a major problem.
“Right now, the wastewater treatment plant is so small that they’re not required to monitor or limit E. coli,” Sutton said. “We’re asking DEQ to reopen the permit, establish monitoring requirements and set limits for bacterial discharges.”
In a statement to Elon News Network, DEQ Public Information Officer Laura Oleniacz confirmed it has been in contact with the plant’s owner and operator regarding multiple permit violations since last year. The North Carolina Division of Water Resources has also conducted its own sampling in response to complaints.
While the current permit lacks fecal coliform limits, DEQ officials said the facility is up for renewal and concerns — including potential new monitoring requirements — that will be reviewed as part of that process.
The agency also noted that the plant experienced flooding during Tropical Storm Chantal, which impacted operations, though repairs have since been made.
Still, Sutton points to infrastructure as a key underlying issue.
“The wastewater treatment plant needs significant repairs,” she said.
The Alamance County Department of Environmental Health did not respond to ENN’s request for comment.
Advocates argue that without enforceable limits and upgraded systems, problems could persist, especially in a river that has long faced pollution challenges. The Haw River feeds into the Cape Fear River Basin, a drinking water source for communities downstream, adding another layer of urgency to the issue.
For now, the future of the Saxapahaw plant’s permit remains under review. But for those who live, work and spend time along the Haw River, the concern is immediate and, at times, impossible to ignore.
The Saxapahaw Wastewater Treatment Plant did not respond to ENN’s request for comment.