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Residents question wisdom of new sewer system

By BEN NELMS
bnelms@TheCitizenNews.com

It was a packed and unhappy house Monday at the Palmetto City Council meeting. Most of those in attendance were residents of unincorporated Fulton County and they were far from happy over the impact the city’s upcoming sewer project will have on their property. Long in the making, the project will connect Palmetto’s sewer system to the Fulton County system.

County residents used the public comments portion of the meeting to express their frustration and anger over the impact the city’s upcoming sewer upgrade project will have on their property. Worse still, many said, was the lack of notification they received about the project until survey crews showed up at their doors on Ono, Rivertown and Hobgood roads.

An attempt by Mayor Clark Boddie to explain the situation did not quell the frustration.

“As some of you may already know, that particular project is a joint project between the City of Palmetto and Fulton County. We will have a public meeting here in Palmetto with engineers and folks that can answer technical questions,” Boddie said. “I can talk to you about the side of the road and right-of-way, but those are probably not the answers you want to some of your questions in reference to the line and the pump station as far as where exactly it’s going to be located and how it affects property owners. Of course, the vast majority of the lines will be on county right-of-way. But there is going to be some effect on some property owners and I just don’t have that (information) in front of me tonight to answer those particular questions.”

Boddie told residents the public meeting will be held during the evening hours within the next two weeks to address questions and concerns. Representatives from the city and county will be invited to attend, he said. Boddie said the meeting will be held at the Seniors’ Center on Turner Avenue. Many residents left their names and contact numbers to be advised of the meeting.

Several residents continued with questions and concerns over the project. High on the list of concerns was the failure by either the city or county to notify property owners of the impending project, the installation on what is currently private property of project components such as a deodorizing and pump stations, the routing of lines on developed property rather than undeveloped land, potentially ruptured sewer lines and the inability to tap onto the pressurized system.

“Is this a done deal?” asked affected resident James Johnson, whose question mirrored so many others in the room. “We just found out about this last week.”

Though unable to fully account for the lack of notification to residents, Boddie explained the city’s rationale for partnering with Fulton County to handle Palmetto’s current and future waste.

“We’re in a situation where we have, in fact, wore our plant down. We could have run a line straight from our new pump station to be picked up by the county’s facility, but the situation is that the county had plans in future years for expanding sewerage (service) into that area,” Boddie said. “And so thus came the opportunity while we were running a line anyway to go into partnership with Fulton County and let them do that line at a much reduced cost instead of waiting three or four years. We’ve bought a million gallons of capacity into that (county) plant and we’re taking our plant, which is obviously worn out, off line. So the sewer is going up there. It’s just a question of how it gets there.”

Many in the council chambers were incensed and undeterred, citing a lack of consideration by the city and county for failing to notify them of the project and the need to protect their property from the unwanted intrusion represented by the installation of sewer lines along Ono, Rivertown and Hobgood roads.

After the meeting, Bear Creek Homeowners Association President Toni Thornton expressed concerns over the inconsiderate manner in which affected property owners were excluded from notification and any subsequent input other than a public meeting just prior to the onset of the project.

“We were here to hear information regarding the (project) they are proposing. Most of my neighbors were totally unaware of this,” Thornton said emphatically. “We’re trying to find out why, when we contact the City of Palmetto, we were told it was a Fulton County project and when we contacted the county we were told it was a city project. It is a done deal but there has been no notification to my knowledge to any of my neighbors.”

Earlier this year, the city council approved the Wastewater Conveyance and Transport System Development Agreement between Palmetto and Fulton County. The project will be funded by the city’s $9 million bond issue and will increase the sewer capacity to one million gallons per day, a significant increase over the current 600,000 gallons per day. The agreement anticipates the project to be completed in spring 2006.

Palmetto’s portion of the project will consist of construction of a new main pumping station located on the site of Palmetto’s wastewater treatment plant off Carlton Road and construction of approximately 23,300 feet of sewer force main from the Palmetto pump station to a proposed force main terminus manhole located near Ono Road and Hobgood Road. Fulton County’s portion of the project includes: 1) construction of approximately 3,500 feet of gravity sewer from that location to the new pump station to be constructed near Hobgood Road and Bear Creek; 2) construction of the Hobgood Road pump station; 3) construction of approximately 10,900 feet of sewer main from the Hobgood pump station to a proposed main terminus near Rivertown Road and Cedar Grove Road and; 4) construction of approximately 10,700 feet of sewer main from Rivertown Road to the Line Creek Interceptor near McClure Road.

The agreement with Fulton County represents a portion of a $9 million bond issue to upgrade the sewer system. In total, the bond issue includes increasing Palmetto’s share in expanding the county plant, running new sewer lines to the plant and replacing some existing lines in the city. The council decided to tie into the county system because it would significantly increase wastewater treatment capabilities and would be less costly than spending the estimated $12-15 million to establish a sewer treatment plant inside city limits.

Palmetto’s rapid growth, mirroring all of South Fulton in recent years, has been limited by a Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD)-imposed moratorium on establishing new sewer connections. Removal of the moratorium in 2006 is expected after the city ties into the county wastewater system. Once accomplished, the move is expected to provide for significant development, including the generation of additional solid waste.