The Chattahoochee River at Paces Ferry Road is located just east of Vinings and is just downstream of I-75 and I-285. The immediate area is densely developed, highly urbanized and the site of a lot of public activity and use. Close to the site there are residential areas, restaurants and commercial establishments, a shopping mall, high-rise office buildings, along with a large, private school along the river bank. Tens of thousands of people live, work, and play close to this section of the Chattahoochee River. The area surrounding the Paces Ferry sampling site is very heavily used by the people of Atlanta for a variety of uses. Just upstream of the site is the National Park Service's Palisades Unit, which is frequented by picnickers, hikers, boaters, and rafters. The area is a popular "take out" site for thousands of tubers and rafters finishing their float down the Chattahoochee during the summer months. Many people picnic and hike the trails and climb the rocky bluffs of the river further upstream of the site.

Tests are taken weekly and results are updated to Swim Guide each Friday.