Four-county reservoir set to open despite obstacles

ATHENS - Northeast Georgia residents soon will be able to draw water from the 505-acre Bear Creek Reservoir, much to the relief of people who wondered whether four counties could cooperate well enough to make the project work. <br> <br> Athens-Clarke, Barrow, Jackson and Oconee counties all will draw from the 4.8 billion gallons in Bear Creek, making it the first drinking-water reservoir in the state to include more than one jurisdiction. <br> <br> George Byrd, who managed the project for engineering consultants Moreland Altobelli, said the counties&#39; relationship often has seemed tenuous since planning began in the late 1980s, when officials began trying to ``drought-proof&#39;&#39; the state. <br> <br> The $32 million reservoir and $30 million treatment plant received its operating permit May 1 and is scheduled to be in operation before the end of June, pumping out 21 million gallons a day to the fast-growing region.