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State awards roughly $320 million to Effingham County for two‑phase regional water system
Summary
County officials said the state awarded approximately $320 million to build a county water system in two phases: a 2028 near‑term tie to Savannah water to reduce aquifer withdrawals and a 2029 full intake and treatment plant to supply the region and retire local wells, funded by a $160 million direct grant and favorable loan terms.
Effingham County officials told residents that the state awarded roughly $320 million to support construction of a two‑phase regional water system intended to reduce reliance on local aquifers and allow the county to supply industrial and municipal customers.
Project overview and phases: The county official said Phase 1 will connect the county’s system to the City of Savannah supply and to I‑16 to provide treated surface water to a local plant (referred to in the meeting as the “honey plant”), reducing withdrawals from the Floridan aquifer. Officials said Phase 1 is on an accelerated schedule with a targeted completion around 2028 and is expected to reduce aquifer withdrawals by about 2,000,000 gallons per day.
Phase 2 will install a new raw‑water intake about eight miles upriver from an existing intake point in Effingham County and construct a water‑treatment plant in District 4. That facility would treat and distribute county water and, under the presenter’s description, would also allow the county to stop using its current wells under the terms of present permits. The county official said the state funding package includes roughly $160 million in a direct grant and the remainder as a favorable loan to be repaid through cost‑recovery fees charged to new customers; county officials said no property tax dollars will be used to repay the loan.
Reuse and wastewater connections: County staff described a complementary wastewater reuse plan. High‑quality reclaimed effluent will be used for irrigation where available; the county also has an arrangement to sell effluent to Oglethorpe Power (named by the presenter) so most reuse or reuse‑sales will be consumed rather than discharged to the Ogeechee River. The presenter said spray fields would be discontinued as new reuse and conveyance infrastructure comes on line.
Why this matters: Officials framed the project as regional water security and an effort to preserve aquifer levels affected by industrial pumping; the county would become a regional supplier rather than being a net purchaser of water from Savannah.
Ending: Officials said Phase 1 is targeted for 2028 with full system operation by 2029, and that the funding comes from state grants and loans rather than local tax dollars.
