Primary Content Caption The segment of the Chattahoochee River that runs through Columbus is a popular spot for whitewater rafting and fishing. The Columbus Water Works is challenging new state requirements meant to protect water quality. Credit: Henry Jacobs/Chattahoochee Riverkeeper A middle Georgia public utility has spent years fighting a new state permit that would impose more limits on pollution flowing from the sewer system into a popular stretch of the Chattahoochee River known for its fishing and whitewater rafting. The Columbus Water Works has cited the cost to comply with the new water quality requirements as at least part of the reason for its long-standing objections to a state permit that has been in limbo for years. Its previous permit expired in 2015.