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The Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) recently published the list of the 13 local governments and one commission requesting funds from the Governor’s Water Supply Program.
The list of new reservoir projects requesting funding in the form of GEFA loans for the planning stage includes:
  • Barrow County Water & Sewerage Authority proposed new water supply,
  • Etowah Water and Sewer Authority’s  Shoal Creek Reservoir a/k/a Dawson Forest,
  • Paulding County’s Richland Creek Reservoir,
  • City of Cornelia,
  • City of Auburn’s proposed new water supply, and
  • Haralson County Water Authority’s Beach Creek Reservoir.
These six projects requested $18,297,089 in GEFA loans to fund planning and permitting of new water supply sources or to expand existing water supply sources.  $5,800,000 has already been awarded to Paulding County and Haralson County Water Authority.
There are three reservoirs in the Section 404 permitting phase that have requested both GEFA loans to fund continuing permitting activities, and Direct State Investment funds as reimbursement for existing assets associated with those reservoir projects:
  • Newton County’s Bear Creek Reservoir,
  • Paulding County’s Richland Creek, and
  • South Fulton Water & Sewer Authority'[s Bear Creek Reservoir.
Together these three reservoir projects requested $51,339,000 in GEFA loans and $73,719,193 of Direct State Investment funding.
The one reservoir ready for construction, Walton and Oconee Counties’ Hard Labor Creek Reservoir, requested $32,000,000 of Direct State Investment.
Together, these nine projects account for all but $550,000 of the $92,566,882 in loans requested from GEFA for loans and $83,339,000 of the $103,028,876 requested for Direct State Investment.
In addition:
  • Villa Rica request both GEFA loan and direct state investment for improves to its existing reservoir,
  • Three communities requested funds for new wells, totaling $6.099M in request for Direct State Investment, and
  • The Southwest Georgia Regional Commission requested funds for a pilot study of Aquifer Storage and Recovery techniques.
Competition will be fierce between the reservoir projects for funding, but most are multi-year projects that will request funds next year if they are not fully funded this year.
The full list is attached for your review.

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