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Georgia awards $146 million to Savannah for regional surface water projects; city outlines partnership with Effingham County
Summary
Savannah will receive $146 million in state support for regional surface water treatment and delivery projects, city staff told council on March 13, with a regional approach through Effingham County expected to trim Savannah’s capital costs by roughly $125 million.
City staff told Savannah City Council on March 13 that the FY2025 state supplemental budget includes $146,000,000 to support a regional surface water treatment and delivery strategy that will expand supply for Savannah, North Bryan County and Effingham County.
According to the briefing, half of that allocation will be direct state investment and the other half will be provided as favorable 0% financing through the state financing authority. City staff credited legislative leaders and local advocates for securing the funding and said the award relieves much of the immediate capital burden from local ratepayers.
Chiefs and technical staff explained a revised regional plan in which Savannah would use existing transmission infrastructure to deliver surface water to Effingham County, and Effingham would take the lead on new transmission and treatment capacity in later phases. Staff said that change — developed through internal engineering review and intergovernmental discussions — reduces Savannah’s near-term capital obligations by about $125,000,000 compared with an earlier pipeline option that would have had Savannah build a large cross-county transmission line.
City staff said the revised approach preserves regional benefits while allowing Savannah to reallocate savings into water-distribution upgrades that would directly benefit downtown and West Side customers, increase redundancy and improve pressure and level-of-service. Staff emphasized the work will add capacity for projected regional growth while reducing the city’s reliance on groundwater supply.
City representatives also acknowledged they will coordinate closely with Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) staff to finalize funding agreements and implementation steps. Staff noted the plan includes both grant and loan components and that program details are being finalized with state partners.
Ending: Council members thanked staff and legislative partners for the funding and asked staff to return with implementation details and expected schedule; staff said the funding will be directed to phased infrastructure improvements and distribution system upgrades, with future public briefings planned.
