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Developer to fund 20‑inch transmission main; authority will own pipe, planning committee says
Summary
Planning committee members told the water authority the privately funded 20‑inch water main to I‑75 will be constructed at developer expense (estimated $12–$14 million), become the authoritys asset on completion, and the City of Griffin will be the wholesale customer through a master meter.
Members of the planning committee told the Spalding County Water Authority at its March 19 meeting that a prospective industrial customer near I‑75 has offered to pay to build a 20‑inch water main linking the authoritys system to the customers site, with an estimated construction cost in the $12 million to $14 million range.
The committee reported the developer would construct the main at its expense and, when complete, the asset would be owned by the authority while the wholesale customer would be the City of Griffin through an existing master‑meter arrangement. One committee speaker summarized the arrangement: “They will pay for somewhere in the 12 to $14,000,000 range and itll be our asset when its all done.”
Staff said the authority will receive a transmission fee for water that passes through the pipe to the City of Griffins master meter and that new customers could be served from that main depending on volume. The authority also said it has run a hydraulic model and set a maximum flow threshold so the large user does not negatively affect system pressures. The committee recommended the project as a favorable opportunity because it would extend transmission capacity with no capital outlay by the authority while creating future connection points for the countys unserved areas.
Board members asked about unintended consequences of larger mains and intermittent demand. Staff warned that an oversized line with inconsistent year‑round flow could produce poor circulation and "water age" problems; they said the developer & authority will design taps and tees to allow future service to adjacent roads and will install fire hydrants on the 20‑inch main at roughly 500‑foot spacing paid for by the developer.
The planning committee report described the work as an "incredible opportunity" to extend service into southwest and southeast pockets of the county that currently lack water service, and committee members said the project could relieve existing bottlenecks where a six‑inch line would otherwise need upgrading.
