After much deliberation by the Senoia City Council, it looks like Senoia will be back in the water business.

The council voted Monday to begin the grubbing process, which will eliminate all vegetation from Hutchinson's lake, and to contract with G. Ben Turnipseed Engineering to bring the water treatment plant up to the required standards.

Turnipseed presented the council and members of the community with the finished report evaluating the plant, showing approximately $194,500 of improvements.

"Structurally it's in real good shape," said Ben Turnipseed, owner of Turnipseed Engineering. "It's like having a car that sat for two years."

The improvement process should take between two and four months, followed by approximately two weeks of running to test it. Turnipseed also said the plant had a life-span of at least another 30 years.

Currently, he said, the city buys water from Coweta County at $2.32 per 1,000 gallons, while the city could use its own water treatment plant for $1.56 per 1,000 gallons. Although the city is still required to buy a minimum amount of water from the county, the annual savings will be $33,000 a year.

The city expects to have the repairs paid off within two years and the remaining $510,000 owed on the original plant construction will be paid in full by 2010.

"It is more critical that every water source is used as the population grows," said Turnipseed.

The water plant will be able to produce 300,000 gallons a day from the Hutchinson's lake reservoir. The plant is capable of treating up to 600,000 gallons a day, but regulations by the Environmental Protection Division won't allow it, Turnipseed said.

Turnipseed responded to citizens at the council meeting who expressed concerns about water quality, saying that the taste and smell of the water will be the same as the county water since all plants are required to meet the same regulations.

Problems with water quality experienced before the dam was breached in 1994 by floods, he said, were due to vegetation in the reservoir, which will be removed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA will cover most costs associated with the grubbing process.

The council was forced to decide on whether to repair the water treatment plant due to an Oct. 1 deadline by FEMA.

The water committee also is investigating the use of sterile carp to continue the elimination of the vegetation.

"If we can do this and do it right, then I recommend we do this," Mayor Joan Trammell said.