Bulloch County launches well‑mitigation hotline and schedules April 14 workshop as well registrations begin

Bulloch County planning staff said the county's groundwater well mitigation hotline is live and the program will hold an advisory committee meeting and a public workshop on April 14.

Planning and development director James Pope, who is also the county's groundwater sustainability program manager, said the mitigation hotline is +1 (888) 353‑8020 and the program website is brianbullochgsp.org. He said staff has mailed 875 letters to parcels within the five‑mile target area and received 27 well registrations to date; staff has also received seven phone calls about the program.

Pope said the county has a draft RFP to solicit local well drillers and plans to issue it shortly so drillers can submit proposals to perform mitigation work if needed. He said the advisory committee's initial meeting is April 14 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Bulloch County Board of Education building at 8810 U.S. Highway 280 in Black Creek, and a public workshop for residents will follow the same evening from 5 to 7 p.m.

Pope urged residents who believe their private groundwater wells might be affected to register now; registrations are voluntary and can be updated later if owners learn additional details about their well. "If your groundwater well goes out after the date that our local wells start drawing water from the aquifer, if your well goes out, we would ask—and you live in the five‑mile area—to dial +1 (888) 353‑8020," he said.

The program team said registrations will help the county contact property owners quickly if a mitigation response is needed and that the RFP will allow the county to create a roster of qualified drillers.