Some serious questions regarding PTC sewer

Recent discussions by the City Council of Peachtree City and the board of directors for the Peachtree City Water and Sewer Authority (WASA) have taken place regarding an effort to provide sewer service to Tyrone.

This should be a cause for concern for everyone living in these two cities.

There are a number of negative issues and perhaps even a few positive aspects to the proposal to provide 500,000 gallons per day of sewerage treatment capacity to Tyrone. However, it is my opinion that the negatives related to this proposal far outweigh any positives, especially considering the current circumstances.

One issue stands out as the big negative that should make every citizen in Peachtree City as well as Tyrone worry a great deal.

Seven years ago, in loud and emphatic voices, WASA insisted that the expanded treatment facility was vital to the growth of Peachtree City and in even louder voices that the Clean Water Act permit they were requesting was ONLY for their service area, which they defined as the city limits of Peachtree City and nothing beyond.

Those loud WASA voices were in response to my objections to their proposal. Further objections were made to the City Council when I requested that they look for an outside review of WASA’s permit-supporting documents and again when I requested a review by state and federal agencies.

At each point, they stood behind their position that the volume requested was appropriate and that they were not required by regulations to identify impacts outside the city limits.

But look at where we are now. All of that bluster about obtaining a Clean Water Act permit for a limited service area, and a few short years later they are trying to sell what they call excess capacity anywhere they can.

It appears their commitments to everyone regarding their permit meant nothing.

To make matters worse, it is beginning to sound like they now believe they can take their sewer lines wherever they please — possibly even without obtaining the approval of the City Council.

I question if there is any level of integrity remaining, not of the individual board members, but with WASA as an organization.

But to add insult to the injury, we hear from some City Council members that providing service to Tyrone is a good thing, and they haven’t even heard what the implications or impacts might be. Has the Peachtree City Council lost those elusive shreds of integrity as well?

It may be possible to amend the discharge permit held by WASA, to include areas outside the city limits. But since WASA would have to also amend its watershed assessment to enable it to add Tyrone to its service area, [that would be] one additional cost for Tyrone residents.

My guess is that WASA[’s board] will think they have authority to include Tyrone without asking for anyone’s permission.