Upson County planners approve conditional rezoning for water‑harvesting operation after hours of public concern

The Upson County Planning and Zoning Commission voted to approve a conditional rezoning to M1 for 22.86 acres off Crest Highway to allow production wells, on‑site storage tanks and automated truck loading for transport to an off‑site bottling facility.

The applicant, identified in the record as property owner Robert Ronald A. Ellington, told the commission the operation would pump spring water to tanks inside a 40‑by‑60 building and load tractor‑trailers for delivery to a bottling plant in Newton, Georgia. He said the project would use at most 16 truck trips daily (about 96,000–99,000 gallons) to remain under the state‑level threshold that typically triggers a formal withdrawal permit.

Why it matters: Residents said the change would alter a rural, low‑density area, could increase heavy traffic on Highway 74 and might risk private wells and farm water supplies. Several called for a Georgia DOT traffic impact study and for rigorous hydrogeologic review before production begins.

Public concerns were outlined during a lengthy…