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Committee renews regional water-cost-sharing agreement and extends technical research funding
Summary
The committee approved a six-month extension and renewal of a regional cooperative agreement that funds technical and legal work on metro Atlanta's water supply, authorizing up to $675,000 for technical and legal research shared among multiple jurisdictions.
The City Utilities Committee on Jan. 28 approved a first amendment renewing and extending a cooperative technical-assistance and cost-sharing agreement among metro water suppliers and regional governments to fund technical and legal research related to water supply.
Councilmember Howard Shook presented the resolution and sought committee approval. A staff member identified in the meeting as Bandari explained the agreement renews long-standing regional collaboration under the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) umbrella to protect metro water supplies and update technical work supporting litigation and intergovernmental negotiations.
Bandari summarized two decades of regional work, saying metro water suppliers have pooled legal and technical resources through ARC to defend water withdrawals and to participate in settlement and rulemaking processes. "So over the years, we've been fighting the fight together, sharing resources legally and technically, and we won every fight we've been in," Bandari said. He referenced recent litigation and a settlement process involving Alabama and Georgia, the U.S. Supreme Court case concerning Lake Lanier, and the ongoing water control manual revision.
Bandari said the three-year renewal is a not-to-exceed arrangement that spreads costs by population: "We pay, 1 and a half share 1 share for the city of Atlanta and a half share for our Tom Low plant ownership," he said. Bandari named the lead law firm as Lewis Jones and Jones Fortuna (formerly associated with King & Spalding).
Councilmember Shook moved approval; Councilmember Isha Collins seconded. The committee voted to approve the amendment, authorizing the mayor's designee to execute the amendment and to enter into subsequent agreements with regional partners. The item description lists a funding cap not to exceed $675,000 to support the technical and legal research.
