GEFA Approves 22 Water, Sewer Infrastructure Projects Totaling $41 Million for Georgia Communities

Governor Sonny Perdue announced August 25the approval of 22 environmental infrastructure project loans totaling $41 million. Sixteen of the projects were either fully or partially financed by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) at a total of $33.7 million. The GEFA board of directors approved the commitments to help finance water and sewer infrastructure projects in 22 communities throughout Georgia.

“Investment in our state’s water and sewer infrastructure stimulates the economy, promotes the stewardship of our natural resources, and helps to meet Georgia’s future water needs,” said Governor Perdue. “The projects approved today will improve water system efficiency and will ensure clean and safe water.”

“The federal water and sewer programs administered by GEFA assist local governments with improving their environmental infrastructure,” said GEFA Executive Director Phil Foil. “Financing water and sewer projects encourages economic growth and the stewardship of our environment.”

Foil expressed appreciation to Governor Perdue, Georgia’s Congressional delegation and the members of the General Assembly for their support. He credited Governor Perdue’s commitment to helping Georgia cities and counties finance infrastructure development as one of the main contributors to GEFA’s success.

“The projects that we agreed to finance today illustrate how GEFA helps communities of all sizes, in all areas of the state,” said Matt Beasley, chairman of the GEFA board of directors and mayor of the city of Hartwell. “From the smallest of communities to the largest, GEFA is investing in communities that are willing to invest in themselves.”

GEFA helps communities prepare for economic growth and development through the provision of low interest loans. The Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) is a federal loan program administered by GEFA for wastewater infrastructure and water pollution abatement projects. Eligible projects include a wide variety of storm water and wastewater collection and treatment projects. The Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) is a federal loan program administered by GEFA for water infrastructure projects. Eligible projects include public health-related water supply construction.

In February, Congress approved and the President signed the ARRA, which included a substantial investment in the CWSRF and the DWSRF programs. The ARRA also directs the states to reserve 20 percent of the ARRA funding for “…projects to address green infrastructure, water or energy efficiency improvements or other environmentally innovative activities.”

Under the ARRA financing terms adopted by the GEFA board of directors, cities or counties that are OneGeorgia-eligible qualify for a 70 percent subsidy. Cities or counties that are not OneGeorgia-eligible qualify for a 40 percent subsidy. Cities or counties with eligible green projects qualify for a 60 percent subsidy. For example, if a OneGeorgia-eligible community applies for a $1 million loan, then 70 percent of the loan will be forgiven, up to a maximum of $700,000, subject to the loan contract provisions. The community will close on a loan of up to$300,000 at a three percent interest rate. OneGeorgia-eligible communities are located outside the state’s metropolitan areas and have a population of 50,000 or less with a poverty rate of ten percent or greater. The unprecedented amounts of subsidy in the ARRA financing terms will help Georgia meet the ARRA’s short-term goals of job creation and economic stimulus.

Georgia local governments expressed a tremendous amount of interest in the ARRA funds. Cities and counties submitted more than 1,600 clean water, drinking water and green projects with a total cost exceeding $6 billion. Total available funding for projects through the ARRA is $144 million. Funding is obligated to projects on a first-come-first-served basis.

Below are details of the loans approved Tuesday:

City of Allentown



The city of Allentown was approved for a Georgia Fund loan of $45,275 for improvements to the city’s water system. The city will pay a two percent interest rate on the 10-year loan. The total project cost is $90,550, with a grant of $45,275 from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) providing the remainder.

BanksCounty

Financed through the ARRA, Banks County was approved for a Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) loan of $777,480 and a DWSRF subsidy of $1,814,120 for the construction of a new one million gallon clear well, pump station and associated water main. The total project cost is $2,591,600 with GEFA providing the entire amount. Consistent with GEFA’s ARRA financing terms for OneGeorgia-eligible communities, 70 percent (up to a maximum of $1,814,120) of the principal will be forgiven, subject to the loan contract provisions. Banks County will pay three percent interest on the loan portion, up to a maximum of $777,480, for 20 years.

City of Blakely

Financed through the ARRA, the city of Blakely was approved for a Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) loan of $486,750 and a CWSRF subsidy of $1,135,750 for the replacement or repair of manholes and sewer mains. The total project cost is $1,622,500 with GEFA providing the entire amount. Consistent with GEFA’s ARRA financing terms for communities that are OneGeorgia-eligible, 70 percent (up to a maximum of $1,135,750) of the principal will be forgiven, subject to the loan contract provisions. The city of Blakely will pay three percent interest on the loan portion, up to a maximum of $486,750, for 15 years.

City of Calhoun

Financed through the ARRA, the city of Calhoun was approved for a green project through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF). The loan of $600,000 and a DWSRF subsidy of $900,000 were approved for the upgrade of approximately 5,500 water meters to transmit information to a new automated meter reading system. The total project cost is $1,500,000 with GEFA providing the entire amount. Consistent with GEFA’s ARRA financing terms for green projects, 60 percent (up to a maximum of $900,000) of the principal will be forgiven, subject to the loan contract provisions. The city of Calhoun will pay three percent interest on the loan portion, up to a maximum of $600,000, for ten years.

Carroll County Water Authority

Financed through the ARRA, the Carroll County Water Authority was approved for a green project through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF). The loan of $1,870,000 and a DWSRF subsidy of $2,805,000 were approved for the replacement of 17,000 water meters to transmit information to a new automated meter reading system. The total project cost is $4,675,000 with GEFA providing the entire amount. Consistent with GEFA’s ARRA financing terms for green projects, 60 percent (up to a maximum of $2,805,000) of the principal will be forgiven, subject to the loan contract provisions. The Carroll County Water Authority will pay three percent interest on the loan portion, up to a maximum of $1,870,000, for 20 years.

City of Clayton

Financed through the ARRA, the city of Clayton was approved for a green project through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF). The loan of $237,320 and a DWSRF subsidy of $355,980 were approved for the replacement of 2,000 water meters and the upgrade of 1,000 water meters to transmit information to a new automated meter reading system. The total project cost is $593,300 with GEFA providing the entire amount. Consistent with GEFA’s ARRA financing terms for green projects, 60 percent (up to a maximum of $355,980) of the principal will be forgiven, subject to the loan contract provisions. The city of Clayton will pay three percent interest on the loan portion, up to a maximum of $237,320, for ten years.

City of Cumming

Financed through the ARRA, the city of Cumming was approved for a Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) loan of $711,884 and a DWSRF subsidy of $474,589 for modifications to the settling basins at the city’s Potable Water Production Facility. The total project cost is $1,186,473 with GEFA providing the entire amount. Consistent with GEFA’s ARRA financing terms for communities that are not OneGeorgia-eligible, 40 percent (up to a maximum of $474,589) of the principal will be forgiven, subject to the loan contract provisions. The city of Cumming will pay three percent interest on the loan portion, up to a maximum of $711,884, for 20 years.

City of Demorest

The city of Demorest was approved for a Georgia Fund loan of $360,000 for improvements to the city’s water system. The city will pay a 3.81 percent interest rate on the 20-year loan. The total project cost is $660,000, with a $300,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission providing the remainder.

Ellijay-GilmerCountyWater and Sewerage Authority

Financed through the ARRA, the Ellijay-Gilmer County Water and Sewerage Authority was approved for a Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) loan of $1,032,227 and a DWSRF subsidy of $2,408,531 for water infrastructure upgrades within the Coosawattee River Resort residential development. The total project cost is $3,440,758 with GEFA providing the entire amount. Consistent with GEFA’s ARRA financing terms for OneGeorgia-eligible communities, 70 percent (up to a maximum of $2,408,531) of the principal will be forgiven, subject to the loan contract provisions. The Ellijay-Gilmer County Water and Sewerage Authority will pay three percent interest on the loan portion, up to a maximum of $1,032,227, for 20 years.

Heard County Water Authority

Financed through the ARRA, the Heard County Water Authority was approved for a Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) loan of $30,000 and a CWSRF subsidy of $70,000 for the replacement of the pumps and controls at a wastewater lift station. The total project cost is $100,000 with GEFA providing the entire amount. Consistent with GEFA’s ARRA financing terms for communities that are OneGeorgia-eligible, 70 percent (up to a maximum of $70,000) of the principal will be forgiven, subject to the loan contract provisions. The Heard County Water Authority will pay three percent interest on the loan portion, up to a maximum of $30,000, for five years.

City of Hiawassee

The city of Hiawassee was approved for a Georgia Fund loan of $400,000 for improvements to the city’s sewer system. The city will pay a 3.81 percent interest rate on the 20-year loan. The total project cost is $700,000, with a $300,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission providing the remainder.

City of Lawrenceville

Financed through the ARRA, the city of Lawrenceville was approved for a Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) loan of $990,000 and a DWSRF subsidy of $660,000 for the extension and replacement of water mains. The total project cost is $1,650,000 with GEFA providing the entire amount. Consistent with GEFA’s ARRA financing terms for communities that are not OneGeorgia-eligible, 40 percent (up to a maximum of $660,000) of the principal will be forgiven, subject to the loan contract provisions. The city of Lawrenceville will pay three percent interest on the loan portion, up to a maximum of $990,000, for 20 years.

City of Lula

Financed through the ARRA, the city of Lula was approved for a Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) loan of $2,574,144 and a CWSRF subsidy of $6,006,336 for the construction of a wastewater treatment plant. The total project cost is $8,580,480 with GEFA providing the entire amount. Consistent with GEFA’s ARRA financing terms for communities that are OneGeorgia-eligible, 70 percent (up to a maximum of $6,006,336) of the principal will be forgiven, subject to the loan contract provisions. The city of Lula will pay three percent interest on the loan portion, up to a maximum of $2,574,144, for 20 years.

Nicholson Water Authority

The Nicholson Water Authority was approved for a Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) loan of $1,000,000 for the construction of a new well, the rehabilitation of an existing well and the replacement of water mains. The Authority will pay a three percent interest rate on the 20-year loan. The total project cost is $1,000,000 with GEFA providing the entire amount.

City of Rockmart

The city of Rockmart was approved for a Georgia Fund loan of $460,000 for improvements to the city’s water and sewer systems. The city will pay a 3.81 percent interest rate on the 20-year loan. The total project cost is $760,000, with a $300,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission providing the remainder.

City of Savannah

The city of Savannah was approved for a Georgia Fund loan of $5,000,000 for improvements to the city’s sanitary sewer system. The city, a WaterFirst community, will pay a 2.81 percent interest rate on the 20-year loan, one percent lower than the current Georgia Fund rate. WaterFirst communities are certified by DCA as having met and maintained stringent standards for system management and water conservation. Participants are entitled to a lower interest rate on certain GEFA loans. GEFA will consider a phase two loan of $5,000,000 for the project next year.

City of Stockbridge

Financed through the ARRA, the city of Stockbridge was approved for a Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) loan of $2,499,900 and a DWSRF subsidy of $1,666,600 for the replacement of asbestos-cement water mains and the relocation of service connections. The total project cost is $4,166,500 with GEFA providing the entire amount. Consistent with GEFA’s ARRA financing terms for communities that are not OneGeorgia-eligible, 40 percent (up to a maximum of $1,666,600) of the principal will be forgiven, subject to the loan contract provisions. The city of Stockbridge will pay three percent interest on the loan portion, up to a maximum of $2,499,900, for 20 years.

City of Summerville

Financed through the ARRA, the city of Summerville was approved for a green project through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF). The loan of $192,000 and a CWSRF subsidy of $288,000 for the construction of a pump station that transfers treated wastewater for reuse in carpet manufacturing. The total project cost is $480,000 with GEFA providing the entire amount. Consistent with GEFA’s ARRA financing terms for green projects, 60 percent (up to a maximum of $288,000) of the principal will be forgiven, subject to the loan contract provisions. The city of Summerville will pay three percent interest on the loan portion, up to a maximum of $192,000, for 20 years.

City of Suwanee

Financed through the ARRA, the city of Suwanee was approved for a Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) loan of $288,026 and a DWSRF subsidy of $192,018 for the construction of a new well and the replacement of water lines. The total project cost is $480,044 with GEFA providing the entire amount. Consistent with GEFA’s ARRA financing terms for communities that are not OneGeorgia-eligible, 40 percent (up to a maximum of $192,018) of the principal will be forgiven, subject to the loan contract provisions. The city of Suwanee will pay three percent interest on the loan portion, up to a maximum of $288,026, for 15 years.

City of Tennille

Financed through the ARRA, the city of Tennille was approved for a green project through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF). The loan of $100,000 and a DWSRF subsidy of $150,000 were approved for the replacement of approximately 780 aging water meters with electronic meters. The financing will also fund a system-wide leak detection study. The total project cost is $250,000 with GEFA providing the entire amount. Consistent with GEFA’s ARRA financing terms for green projects, 60 percent (up to a maximum of $150,000) of the principal will be forgiven, subject to the loan contract provisions. The city will pay three percent interest on the loan portion, up to a maximum of $100,000, for 10 years.

City of Tifton

Financed through the ARRA, the city of Tifton was approved for a green project through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF). The loan of $800,000 and a CWSRF subsidy of $1,200,000 were approved for the upgrade of wastewater treatment equipment with a system that reduces maintenance efforts and lowers operating costs. The total project cost is $2,000,000 with GEFA providing the entire amount. Consistent with GEFA’s ARRA financing terms for green projects, 60 percent (up to a maximum of $1,200,000) of the principal will be forgiven, subject to the loan contract provisions. The city of Tifton will pay three percent interest on the loan portion, up to a maximum of $800,000, for 20 years.

City of Villa Rica

Financed through the ARRA, the city of Villa Rica was approved for a Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) loan of $255,000 and a DWSRF subsidy of $170,000 for the installation of water mains. The total project cost is $425,000 with GEFA providing the entire amount. Consistent with GEFA’s ARRA financing terms for communities that are not OneGeorgia-eligible, 40 percent (up to a maximum of $170,000) of the principal will be forgiven, subject to the loan contract provisions. The city of Villa Rica will pay three percent interest on the loan portion, up to a maximum of $255,000, for 15 years.

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Possible Alternate Reservoir for Lake Lanier?

Note: We stumbled across this story and thought this would be of interest to our readers. The debate is hot right now as Atlanta and Georgia seek to define their future water source for the area.

Dawson Forest May Host Reservoir Alternative To Lake Lanier

Since 1971 Dawson Forest on the western side of Lake Lanier has been owned by Atlanta and Hartsfield-Jackson Airport with the intention of using the land for a second airport. However, pressure for another airport diminished when Hartsfield-Jackson added a fifth runway in 2006 and now, in the aftermath of the court decision potentially restricing Georgia's access to Lake Lanier, some developers are renewing previous talk of building a new reservoir in the forest....http://www.lakelanier.com/200908241048/news/dawson-forest-reservoir-lake-lanier/

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Updated: Build Reservoirs Now or Leave Georgians without Drinking Water in Three Years

Recently, a federal judge ruled that metro Atlanta residents have no right to tap Lake Lanier for their drinking water. Because that function was not originally authorized when the lake was built 50 years ago, 3 million people could be without a single source of water if a compromise with Florida and Alabama is not reached within three years. While I understand the need to follow the letter of the law, we must also consider what’s practical. We cannot leave 3 million citizens without drinking water.

We need a MacArthur plan for Georgia’s water future. Out of the three states embroiled in this issue, ours has the most to lose. The time for action is now. The Governor should issue an executive order setting forth clear objectives to ensure sustainable water resources for every Georgian today and in the future. This should begin immediately and include a three year water plan that puts us in a position of meeting our current and future water needs, regardless of the ruling’s ultimate outcome.

Increase water storage capacity. The simple fact is that Georgia has plenty of water, mainly from precipitation, however we obviously lack adequate water storage for current and future needs. By implementing the provisions of the Water Conservation and Drought Relief Act (SB 342), communities can apply for state funding to enlarge existing reservoirs and obtain permits to construct new ones. Then, under the current Statewide Water Plan, require all affected counties and municipalities to immediately identify their water needs and determine the best sites for new reservoirs as well as increasing freeboards and existing reservoirs. Every corner of the state is a potential place for water storage. To the north, a reservoir on public and private property, as well as Chattahoochee National Forest land, could supplement water inflow to Lanier, maintain adequate water levels and provide direct access to drinking water (as described in SR 107). There are also many appropriate sites in North Georgia that could afford large regional reservoirs. We can tap into the aquifers throughout South Georgia and use the Oconee National Forest for more storage. Finally, let’s not overlook the Georgia coast and opportunities to build desalination plants potentially co-located with power generation, as it has been successfully done in other states.

Permit new reservoirs immediately. The Drought Relief Act provides a streamlined permitting process for new reservoirs. As counties identify new and existing reservoir sites, the Environmental Protection Division should be permitting in 90 days or less. Certainly the Corps of Engineers will require a federal 404 permit and a state-issued 401 permit. We can start the 404 permitting process right away, but shouldn’t wait to begin construction. If Congress can do one thing of vital importance for us, they can simply waive the 404 permitting requirement prior to construction for reservoirs where we are simply raising the dam and increasing the freeboard. There are hundreds of soil conservation reservoirs in North Georgia whose dams can be easily raised. The implementation of these reservoirs is crucial to ensure Georgians have enough drinking water.

Provide funding to increase water storage. The state should immediately move toward funding reservoir development. Starting with next year’s budget, the state should dedicate a huge portion, maybe even a majority, of the bond package for the next three years to fund reservoir construction and water distribution projects. We must get design, permitting and construction underway immediately. With the number of unemployed civil engineers, planners, and construction workers, we can work around the clock to see this effort through and ultimately secure their economic future and that of the state.

Raise the lake level. We must also remember that while it is a strained resource, Lake Lanier is not entirely tapped out. While petitioning Congress for access to our only existing water source, we should also petition to raise the lake level two feet and claim that water as Georgia’s. This would be an additional 85,000 acre feet of water storage solely for our state’s consumption.

Georgia has few alternatives over the next three years. The Governor and his team, headed by Mike Garrett, will pursue all options; including negotiating with our neighbors, potentially appealing the judge’s decision and looking for new water sources. The fact remains that the water in the Chattahoochee River and basin falls on Georgia land, and by definition, that water is ours. We should store the necessary amounts of that water for the livelihood and prosperity of our state and its citizens. The time for talk and study is over. The time for action is now. The question is, do we have the resolve?

By Sen. Chip Pearson

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Sen. Chip Pearson: Build Reservoirs Now or Leave Georgians without Drinking Water in Three Years

Recently, a federal judge ruled that metro Atlanta residents have no right to tap Lake Lanier for their drinking water. Because that function was not originally authorized when the lake was built 50 years ago, 3 million people could be without a single source of water if a compromise with Florida and Alabama is not reached within three years. While I understand the need to follow the letter of the law, we must also consider what’s practical. We cannot leave 3 million citizens without drinking water.

We need a MacArthur plan for Georgia’s water future. Out of the three states embroiled in this issue, ours has the most to lose. The time for action is now. The Governor should issue an executive order setting forth clear objectives to ensure sustainable water resources for every Georgian today and in the future. This should begin immediately and include a three year water plan that puts us in a position of meeting our current and future water needs, regardless of the ruling’s ultimate outcome.

Increase water storage capacity. The simple fact is that Georgia has plenty of water, mainly from precipitation, however we obviously lack adequate water storage for current and future needs. By implementing the provisions of the Water Conservation and Drought Relief Act (SB 342), communities can apply for state funding to enlarge existing reservoirs and obtain permits to construct new ones. Then, under the current Statewide Water Plan, require all affected counties and municipalities to immediately identify their water needs and determine the best sites for new reservoirs as well as increasing freeboards and existing reservoirs. Every corner of the state is a potential place for water storage. To the north, a reservoir on public and private property, as well as Chattahoochee National Forest land, could supplement water inflow to Lanier, maintain adequate water levels and provide direct access to drinking water (as described in SR 107). There are also many appropriate sites in North Georgia that could afford large regional reservoirs. We can tap into the aquifers throughout South Georgia and use the Oconee National Forest for more storage. Finally, let’s not overlook the Georgia coast and opportunities to build desalination plants potentially co-located with power generation, as it has been successfully done in other states.

Permit new reservoirs immediately. The Drought Relief Act provides a streamlined permitting process for new reservoirs. As counties identify new and existing reservoir sites, the Environmental Protection Division should be permitting in 90 days or less. Certainly the Corps of Engineers will require a federal 404 permit and a state-issued 401 permit. We can start the 404 permitting process right away, but shouldn’t wait to begin construction. If Congress can do one thing of vital importance for us, they can simply waive the 404 permitting requirement prior to construction for reservoirs where we are simply raising the dam and increasing the freeboard. There are hundreds of soil conservation reservoirs in North Georgia whose dams can be easily raised. The implementation of these reservoirs is crucial to ensure Georgians have enough drinking water.

Provide funding to increase water storage. The state should immediately move toward funding reservoir development. Starting with next year’s budget, the state should dedicate a huge portion, maybe even a majority, of the bond package for the next three years to fund reservoir construction and water distribution projects. We must get design, permitting and construction underway immediately. With the number of unemployed civil engineers, planners, and construction workers, we can work around the clock to see this effort through and ultimately secure their economic future and that of the state.

Raise the lake level. We must also remember that while it is a strained resource, Lake Lanier is not entirely tapped out. While petitioning Congress for access to our only existing water source, we should also petition to raise the lake level two feet and claim that water as Georgia’s. This would be an additional 85,000 feet of water storage solely for our state’s consumption.

Georgia has few alternatives over the next three years. The Governor and his team, headed by Mike Garrett, will pursue all options; including negotiating with our neighbors, potentially appealing the judge’s decision and looking for new water sources. The fact remains that the water in the Chattahoochee River and basin falls on Georgia land, and by definition, that water is ours. We should store the necessary amounts of that water for the livelihood and prosperity of our state and its citizens. The time for talk and study is over. The time for action is now. The question is, do we have the resolve?
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Georgia sees record low temps in July

July was cool and dry across most of Georgia, with many places receiving record low temperatures.

In Atlanta, the monthly average temperature was 78.1 F (1.9 degrees below normal), in Athens 79.2 degrees (.6 degrees below normal), Columbus 79.8 degrees (2.2 degrees below normal), Macon 80.1 degrees (1 degree below normal), Savannah 80.9 degrees(1.2 degrees below normal), Brunswick 81.4 degrees (1 degree below normal), Alma 80.8 degrees (1.2 degrees below normal) and Augusta 79.9 degrees (.9 degree below normal).

Many daily low temperature records were broken mid-month as cool dry air from the northwest entered the state. Macon's daily low temperature on July 21 was 56 degrees, 9 degrees below the previous record set in 1967. On the same day Columbus reported 61 degrees, 6 degrees below the previous record set in 1974.

Rainfall across most of the state was below normal, according to radar estimates. However, rainfall amounts as much as 8 inches were observed along the Georgia coast, particularly near Brunswick, St. Mary and Savannah, and also along the southwest border near Clay County, according to the Georgia Automated Environmental Monitoring Network.

The highest monthly total from National Weather Service reporting stations was 7.17 inches in Brunswick (2.36 inches above normal) and the lowest was in Athens at 1.33 inches (3.08 inches below normal).

Atlanta received 5.02 inches (.1 inch below normal), Columbus 3.83 inches (1.21 inches below normal), Macon 2.19 inches (2.13 inches below normal), Alma 1.91 inches (4.10 inches below normal), Savannah 6.57 inches (.53 inch above normal), and Augusta 3.29 inches (.78 inch below normal).

The highest monthly total rainfall from the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network was 15.29 inches near St. Mary in the far southeastern corner of the state. Another observer near St. Mary reported 14.57 inches. An observer in Morganton reported 11.49 inches for the month, and an observer in Kingsland reported 10.31 inches.

The high daily rainfall reported by CoCoRaHS observers were 4.80 inches in Carnesville on July 11, followed by 4.68 inches in St. Mary on the July 10, 4.44 inches in Tucker on July 13 and 4.29 inches on Skidaway Island on the July 11.

Two one-day record rainfalls occurred in July. One was in Atlanta, where 1.89 inches fell on July 13, and the other in Brunswick where 2.59 inches fell on July 3.

There were no tornadoes reported. There were scattered reports of hail or strong winds somewhere in Georgia on 13 days. Damage from these events was limited to a few trees down or temporary power outages to a few locations.

The dry conditions aided hay harvesting but caused stress on many field crops. The hit-or-miss rainfalls did not provide any wide-spread relief through the state, although some local areas benefitted.

By Pam Knox
University of Georgia

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Atlanta: A Clean Water Success Story

The last decade has seen a remarkable success story unfold in the City of Atlanta, a success story that has had profound repercussions for the City’s future and that of the entire Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin. It’s the product of billions of dollars in spending, the unrelenting patience of Atlanta residents and the expertise and hard work of thousands of people.

It has not come cheap. Atlantans are paying among the highest water/sewer rates of any major metropolitan area in the nation. But what they have gotten in return is priceless: cleaner and safer rivers and streams for Atlantans and our downstream neighbors.

Cleaner rivers and streams
It’s easy to forget where Atlanta has been: frightening headlines, millions of dollars in fines, human waste floating through the City’s creeks. In June, 1997, an article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution entitled, “A Tide of Pollution That Keeps on Flowing,” contained this paragraph: “The three-mile long Clear Creek, which begins in Piedmont Park, flows through the Ansley Park golf course and empties into Peachtree Creek, is an example of how badly the city’s streams have suffered … The stream is often carpeted with toilet paper, condoms, sanitary napkins and other debris spewing from the CSO upstream. Needles and syringes, some still filled with blood or other substances, are found occasionally in the creek.” Virtually every week saw a new similar story.

“These stories are not fiction,” says Sally Bethea, executive director of Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper (UCR), which, in 1995, sued the City for violations of the state and federal Clean Water Acts. “There were regular health advisories. Residents complained they couldn’t go into their backyards because the smell from the creeks was so strong.” Mayor Shirley Franklin was elected shortly after the signing of two consent decrees mandating that the City reduce combined and sanitary sewer overflows and make improvements to its treatment plants.

“We could have whined and complained,” she says. “But that wouldn’t have gotten the work done, and the work had to be done. So we came up with a plan to do the work and then we implemented it.”

Twelve years after that AJC article appeared, its author, environmental reporter Charles Seabrook joined Mayor Franklin, Department of Watershed Management Commissioner Rob Hunter, City officials and environmental activists to munch on hors d’ouvres and sip punch in a CSO facility. “I never thought I would see this day,” said Seabrook, who served as Master of Ceremonies for the party celebrating the completion of the West Area CSO Tunnel and, with it, the first consent decree.

That tunnel, along with other CSO projects and SSO projects under the ongoing First Amended Consent Decree, have reduced the number of sewer spills into Atlanta’s rivers by 75 percent and the volume of those spills by almost 90 percent.

Sewer capacity relief
Besides the obvious health hazards, Atlanta faced another serious concern because of its antiquated sewer system. Sewers too small to support the City’s astounding growth from 1970 on would regularly back up and overflow. The problem became so acute that, in 2003, the State Environmental Protection Division said that failure to reduce pollution could subject Atlanta to water and sewer system connection moratoriums. In other words, no new development would be allowed. Such moratoriums can have dire consequences for a City’s tax base and ability to generate revenue.

Capacity relief projects undertaken as part of Clean Water Atlanta have nullified that threat and led to an estimated $17.7 billion worth of development that might not have been permitted without the increased capacity. The capacity certification program has allowed development to proceed for 53,100 multi-family units, 24,200 single-family homes, and 2,100 commercial and other non-residential units. (The $17.7 billion is based on estimated selling prices and does not include the economic contribution associated with new businesses and residents.)

Paying for clean water
The UCR lawsuit, which was targeted at the City’s combined sewer overflow (CSO) systems and settled via consent decree in November 1998, prompted a second complaint, this one by the state and federal environmental agencies that targeted Atlanta’s sanitary sewer systems and problems at the treatment plants. That complaint resulted in a 1999 settlement that created what was termed the First Amended Consent Decree. (Atlanta was already under a state consent order mandating improvements in its systems.)

The Consent Decrees were brutal, both in their scope and in their abbreviated deadlines; 2007 (extended by agreement to 2008) for the CSO program and 2014 for the sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) program. Other cities under similar consent decrees were given from 20 to 30 years to implement their solutions. Under Mayor Franklin’s leadership, Clean Water Atlanta, a plan to comply with the consent decrees through a massive overhaul of the City’s sewer system, was born.

Initially, City officials were counting on paying one-third of the program cost through water/sewer rates, one-third through state money and one-third through federal grants. Unfortunately, Clean Water Atlanta came into being during a period of nationwide disinvestment in infrastructure, and the burden of paying for the program fell largely to the City’s residents. Two successive packages of rate increases and voter approval (twice) of a one-cent Municipal Option Sales Tax have provided the bulk of the Clean Water Atlanta financing.

Atlantans are paying those rates despite the fact that the economic crisis has produced an unemployment rate of 10.4 percent in the City, and almost one-quarter of its households are at or below the poverty level. The current monthly water and sewer bill for an average household is more than $120 (6,000 gallons). A household using 10,000 gallons per month has a bill in excess of $215. The MOST indirectly adds an estimated $25 to the monthly bill.

The five cities with the highest water/sewer rates in the country are Seattle, Atlanta, San Francisco, San Diego and Austin, Texas. The other cities have significantly higher median household incomes than Atlanta.

Completed and ongoing projects
Under Clean Water Atlanta, the City has already:
Constructed the 8-mile-long, 16-foot-diameter Nancy Creek Tunnel, which has reduced SSOs in the North Atlanta/Dunwoody area by 70 percent (1,000 overflows in 2000; fewer than 300 in 2008);
Built the Custer Avenue Storage and Dechlorination Facility, which can store up to 10 million gallons of combined sewage for transfer to the South River treatment plant;
Separated 33 miles of combined sewers, reducing stormwater-related overflows in three sewer basins;
Purchased about 2,000 acres of streamside property in eight metro area counties for protection in perpetuity; and
Constructed the 8.5-mile-long, 24 foot-diameter West Area CSO Tunnel, which can store up to 177 million gallons of combined sewage for transfer to a dedicated treatment plant.
Additionally, though it was not required to do so under the consent decrees, the City has replaced about 100 miles of water mains that were aged and leaking.

Infrastructure programs currently ongoing include:
The Sewer System Evaluation Survey and related rehab, under which the City is inspecting every inch of its 1,600 miles of sewer pipe and repairing those that are cracked, leaking or otherwise damaged (to date, 1,287 of a total of 1,580 miles, 82 percent, have been inspected; 314 miles of the estimated 607 that will need repair have been completed);
Cleaning sewers under Operation Clean Sewer, a program to reduce spills associated with stormwater infiltration and blockages from debris and grease, with a goal (exceeded) of 25 percent of the system per year;
Design and construction of a 2.5-billion-gallon drinking water reservoir in Northwest Atlanta, a $190 million project construction of which will likely be accelerated as the City attempts to mitigate the effects of Judge Paul Magnuson’s order in the Tri-State Water Wars;
Grease management inspections that kept 1.15 million gallons of grease of out the system in the first quarter of 2009
Construction of the South River Tunnel, which will capture and store sanitary sewer overflows in South Atlanta;
Construction of new water mains in the Georgia Tech Midtown area;
Meter replacement program, under which the City is replacing or retrofitting 150,000 meters with Automated Meter Reading capability;
Implementation of the Valve & Hydrant Program, under which the City is locating and identifying its valves and hydrants, making necessary repairs and collecting information for inclusion in a Geographic Information System;
Reduction of backlog in the past three years from 3,100 meter leaks to under 100 and from 2,400 service leaks to 150; this stepped-up leak repair program has resulted in the repair of about 750 leaks per month, the same number United Water was repairing a year when it was operating the City’s drinking water system from 1999-2003.
Development and implementation of an upgraded backflow compliance program;
Implementation of a large meter asset management program in January 2009;
Reduction in the number of boil water advisories from nine in 2002 to zero in 2008 and one in 2009;
Design of a number of transmission mains to improve service in a number of South Atlanta communities.

That the projects have been completed on time and on budget, is nothing short of amazing, according to Judge Thomas Thrash, the U.S. District Court Judge who oversees compliance with the consent decrees. “Frankly, I expected excuses, delays, obstruction, incompetence,” the judge said in a 2008 status hearing. “And, under Mayor Franklin’s administration, none of that’s happened. The work’s been done. It’s been done on time, I think pretty much done within budget. And it really is a remarkable accomplishment.”

Population growth and usage reduction
From 2000 to 2008, Atlanta experienced unprecedented population growth, adding almost 30 percent to its population. But it has done so with an emphasis on proper resource management – smart growth policies, infill housing instead of sprawl, extensive capital investment in its systems, a diligent leak detection and repair program and conservation. In fact, Clean Water Atlanta served as a launching pad for green initiatives like construction of a green roof at City Hall, land acquisition for parks, energy conservation projects and a Green Building Ordinance currently pending before the City Council.

A severe drought that began in 2007 and ended earlier this year prompted Atlanta to take serious steps to further reduce water use. The City declared Level 4 restrictions – the strongest – several months before the State implemented them and created a number of conservation programs, distribution of water conservation kits, flush valves and “instant-off” devices for faucets; free water audits; rain barrel construction programs; educational workshops for residents, landscapers and large users; toilet rebates; new toilet installations for low-income, elderly customers; and establishment of the Save Water Atlanta Team to enforce watering restrictions. It already had put in place a three-tiered conservation rate structure that rewards low use.

All those initiatives combined to help Atlantans reduce their drinking water usage by more than 20 percent over the eight years starting in 2000 despite the population boom. And, while Clean Water Atlanta is an infrastructure program, it also is one of Atlanta’s strongest and most extensive green programs.

A model for infrastructure rebuilding
In infrastructure terms, Clean Water Atlanta has become a 21st century model for water and sewer system rebuilding. The program has resulted in cleaner rivers and streams, allowed development to proceed and been accomplished on time and on budget despite oppressively tight deadlines.

“Without Mayor Franklin’s support and encouragement, the Clean Water Atlanta program never would have happened,” Sally Bethea says. While continued investment must be made to finish all the work by 2014, the City and its neighborhoods are already benefiting, thanks to a healthier environment.”