By KAY S. PEDROTTI
Staff Writer

An engineering study holds out hope that Senoia's water treatment plant could be operational again, but City Council will not decide whether to process and sell its own water until Monday, if then, said Mayor Joan Trammell.

Since a dam at the city's raw water reservoir was breached in the floods of 1994, Senoia has purchased water from Coweta County. The Hutchinson's Lake reservoir on Keg Creek is again a viable resource, so the city commissioned G. Ben Turnipseed Engineers to evaluate the water treatment plant for possible reopening.

At Wednesday's water commission meeting, Rick Jeffries with the engineering firm gave explanations and answered questions about the plant report. He told the commission that based on the findings, he would recommend that the plant be reopened.

There are several factors to be considered in the ultimate decision, said commissioner Tom Dunlap. Senoia holds a state permit for withdrawing and treating up to 300,000 gallons per day from the Hutchinson's Lake reservoir, but Jeffries' study shows that peak demand can go up to more than 400,000 gallons per day at times, Dunlap said.

The maximum daily demand is estimated at 282,733 gallons, close to the permitted amount if Senoia goes back into the water business, Dunlap added.

The city also needs to consider whether to "grub" the reservoir for elimination of vegetation, Jeffries said. The city has an allocation of $198,900 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for this purpose.