Canton study finds expanding existing water plant to 8 MGD feasible but urges quick action

A consultant told the Canton City Council that increasing capacity at the city’s existing water treatment plant from 5.45 million gallons per day (MGD) to roughly 8 MGD is feasible, but the city must act quickly because peak demand is approaching the plant’s permitted limit.

Rob Vaccaro, senior project manager with Black & Veatch, said the firm’s feasibility study found the plant’s filters and several hydraulic elements are current bottlenecks and that the city could face permit violations if demand continues to rise. "We're projecting that the peak daily demand will exceed the permitted capacity in 2027," Vaccaro said.

The study outlined two principal options. A rehabilitation and upgrade of the existing plant — adding raw-water piping, a new rapid-mix box, a third flocculation basin, plate settlers in the sedimentation process, conversions to add filter capacity and other building and pump improvements — carried an opinion of probable construction cost of about $36 million. A parallel package plant that would add roughly 2 MGD of additional capacity and operate alongside the existing plant was estimated at just over $30 million. By contrast, Black & Veatch provided a high-level estimate of about $15 per gallon to build a brand-new 8 MGD greenfield plant, or roughly $120 million.

Vaccaro described the existing facility, located at 150 Bobby Bishop Drive beside the Etowah River, as well-maintained but aged: "That building in the background there, it's very old. The roof leaks. The plumbing is in bad condition. Electrically, it's inside the building. It's not to code." He also told the council the plant has produced good water quality despite the facility condition.

Black & Veatch presented a construction schedule of roughly 24 to 30 months for the upgrade concepts, with potential to shorten that timeline if the city uses a construction manager at risk procurement. The firm recommended additional preliminary engineering and a possible yield study tied to reservoir withdrawals if the city pursues new-site options.

Council members asked about the relative long-term benefits of a new greenfield plant versus upgrading the existing facility. Vaccaro said a new plant could better accommodate future treatment needs and emerging contaminants but would require more permitting time and likely take longer to deliver — a critical consideration given the 2027 pressure point.

The presentation also noted near-term improvements already under way at the plant, including work to the raw-water intake and additional pumps that are intended to buy the city some time.

The council did not take action on funding at the meeting; members indicated they would continue discussions with staff and study the options.

Ending: Black & Veatch advised the council to accelerate planning and funding decisions so construction can begin with minimal risk of exceeding the plant's permit threshold. The council said it would continue to work with staff on next steps and return to the issue at future meetings.