$500-million regional water project advances in coastal Georgia
(UI) - Work is underway on a major regional water infrastructure program in coastal Georgia that will expand surface water capacity, reduce reliance on groundwater resources and support long-term growth across multiple counties.
Backed by more than $500 million in state funding, the project will create a regional water system serving Effingham, Bryan, Bulloch and Chatham counties, including the City of Savannah. According to WTOC 11 News, the initiative is designed to shift a portion of the region's water supply from the Floridan Aquifer to surface water drawn from the Savannah River.
The project will be delivered in two phases. The first phase includes upgrades to the City of Savannah's existing water intake and treatment facilities, along with construction of new transmission pipelines connecting Effingham County's water system to neighboring communities and major industrial developments. Officials expect the pipeline network to be completed by 2028.
Phase two includes construction of a new surface water intake on the Savannah River, a 12-million-gallon-per-day water treatment plant expandable to 24 mgd, and additional transmission infrastructure linking the intake, treatment facility and regional distribution network. The full system is expected to be operational by 2030, WTOC 11 reported.
Project leaders say the investment will help meet growing residential and industrial water demand while reducing pressure on the Floridan Aquifer, a critical groundwater source that has faced withdrawal restrictions for nearly two decades. The system is also expected to improve reliability through interconnected water supplies and infrastructure redundancy across the region.
In addition to new treatment and transmission assets, the project will incorporate infrastructure designed to address emerging contaminants such as PFAS and improve resiliency against drought, saltwater intrusion and future growth.
Officials said the regional approach is expected to accelerate delivery of long-term water supply infrastructure while providing capacity for expanding communities and economic development throughout coastal Georgia.
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