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September 2, 2010
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Reservoir project will not get $10M from Ga.
Published August 31, 2008
WALTON COUNTY — The Hard Labor Creek Reservoir project got some hard news earlier this month as county officials discovered that the state can’t afford the $10 million promised earlier this year as part of a $40 million statewide cache to help with the drought.
Walton County was one of the 13 cities and counties that had their funding slashed.
Officials with Gov. Sonny Perdue’s office said cuts are having to be made across the state in various areas and the water-based allocations were just one of the many designated funds cut.
State leaders approved more than $21 billion in state spending in April but are now looking to slash at least $1.6 billion as the state battles a revenue shortfall.
Walton was one of the hardest hit. Officials hoped the $10 million would help lower the reservoir’s project price tag of more than $350 million.
“The initial revenue bonds for the Hard Labor Creek Regional Reservoir Project were issued prior to the announcement of the State’s Water Supply Grant Program, so these grant funds were not included in the original projections,” said Jimmy Parker, vice president of Precision Planning, Inc., the engineers of the reservoir project. “However, the (Walton County Water and Sewerage Authority) and the Reservoir Management Board were very optimistic towards receiving a very significant grant allocation, based on recent meetings with (Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority) representatives. Any grant funds received would have reduced the overall project costs for both Walton and Oconee County, therefore the State’s decision to suspend the program was disappointing.”
However, Parker remains optimistic that some sort of funding will come the project’s way.
“Based on discussions with GEFA representatives (recently), the state maintains that the program has only been suspended and their intention is to re-appropriate funds for this program in future years,” Parker said. “Only time will tell. Since the construction period for the Hard Labor Creek Project is approximately six years, there may still be opportunities to receive grant funding in future years.”
Other county’s or cities losing that applied for the grant monies according to published reports are:
• Banks County — $1.9 million to drill a well and for supporting infrastructure.
•Braselton — $608,800 for a $2.8 million project to build wells and a storage tank.
•Butts County — $461,150 of a $1.5 million project to build a main transmission line.
•Cumming — $2.1 million to complete its $15 million project to build a third pipe for water from Lake Lanier.
•Dahlonega — $5.4 million to build a $21.5 million water treatment plant.
•Fayette County — $4.9 million for a $23.3 million water supply reservoir.
•Haralson County — $2 million to build a $26.5 million dam on a tributary of the Tallapoosa River.
•Lawrenceville — $2.7 million in grants and $5.3 million in loans to build wells and a pump station.
•Mount Airy — $8,000 of a $32,000 job to re-drill a well.
•Savannah — $2.8 million to build a $6.5 million re-use water line.
•Thomaston — $1.6 million to build a $6.6 million water supply reservoir.
•Villa Rica — $612,322 for a $1.8 million project to build a pump station and water transmission lines.
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