Restrooms may reopen soon on RiverWalk near North Highlands Dam, official says

If you walk or jog along the northern end of the Chattahoochee RiverWalk, then you may not have to wait much longer to use restrooms near the North Highlands Dam.

After receiving numerous complaints about closed restrooms on the northern section of the walking trail, I took a look last week and found a padlock securing the door. Officials from the Columbus Parks and Recreation Department and Public Works expect the restrooms to be open soon after being shuttered for six months.

You don’t want to know the reason why officials locked the doors if you get queasy hearing about sewage. Parks and Recreation director Holli Browder, who manages all the facilities at parks, said there is a problem with the lift station getting the sewage from the restrooms.

“They closed it,” she said. “They were having a problem with the pickup with the sewage.”

Browder said the work was turned over to city crews. Drale Short, deputy director of Public Works, noted the problem with gravity at a higher elevation in the sewer system.

“It’s down because the problem with that pumping system is that we were pumping it up hill,” she said of the sewage. “We had to determine and figure out a better way operating that location.”

To get the sewage from that area, Short said they have come up with a shorter route and coordinated a plan to use a sewer line owned by the Columbus Water Works. The work has been contacted out and should be completed soon, she said.

“We’re going to channel it in a shorter distance than we are doing right now,” Short said. “We do think it works.”

Depending on the weather, crews may be able to complete the work within two weeks.

Browder wants the facility open.

“They are getting it so we can get it back open and operational,” she said. “We will be ready to go again.”

This isn’t the only problem the city has experienced lately with park restrooms. The Riverwalk was busy Saturday with walkers and the Tuskegee-Morehouse Classic Parade on Broadway attracted big crowds downtown but the $244,000 restrooms under the Frank K. Martin Pedestrian Bridge were closed.

The restrooms were built in 2015 with $195,088 from the Georgia Department of Transportation, nearly $39,000 in funds from the city and a $10,000 donation from Uptown Columbus Executive Board but the facility was closed about 11 a.m. Browder said Uptown Columbus helps her staff by opening and closing the bathrooms at the Frank K. Martin Bridge.

She said the folks at Uptown Columbus weren’t sure why the facility was closed but they were going to open it.

For the price, I think the sewage should move much better from that facility too.

If you’ve seen something that needs attention, give me a call at 706-571-8576.

This story was originally published October 7, 2018 at 3:26 PM.