Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal last week approved the final report of the Water Supply Task Force, which outlines water supply initiatives and recommendations that will be financed with $300 million of bonds over four years.
Deal ordered the task force be formed to recommend the kinds of projects on which bond proceeds should be spent. Those projects included new reservoirs, expansion of existing reservoirs, system interconnections, wells, water supply planning, reuse, and aquifer storage and recovery.
The task force also recommended the use of public-private partnerships as a way to help leverage additional funds.
“I appreciate the work of the Water Supply Task Force in developing this plan to improve Georgia’s water supply resources,” Deal said in a statement. “The state, local governments, and our citizens share a mutual interest in making sure Georgia has an adequate and sustainable water supply for the future.”
The Georgia Environmental Finance Authority and the Department of Community Affairs will allocate the $300 million for water supply projects, and to help local governments.
Deal said he instructed the agencies to open the water supply program to applicants in January with the goal of making funding awards by this summer.
