A new Water Storage Agreement will let Gwinnett County store its water supply in Lake Lanier for an annual fee. On Tuesday the county reached an agreement with the state. Gwinnett County, and others, have used water in the lake for many years, but for the first time, this grants long-term storage rights to meet Gwinnett County’s water supply needs.
In exchange, Gwinnett County has agreed to pay an annual storage fee to the State. It will cost roughly $1.5 million, in addition to yearly assessment fees. The county will have to pay their percentage of lake repairs, rehabilitation and replacement, as well as operation and maintenance.
“This contract is the result of many years of work to gain access to adequate storage volume to secure water supply for the communities that depend on Lake Lanier for their drinking water,” said Department of Water Resources (DWR) Interim Director Rebecca Shelton. “Recently, due to the hard work of DWR staff to properly treat the water from the lake, we recently received the award for best tasting water in Georgia.”
In a press release from Gwinnett County, Chairwoman Nicole Hendrickson said that quality water is important for the county. “It is the small benefits that play a large part in why Gwinnett County is the preferred place to live and work. DWR continues to deliver superior services and this is an important step toward securing the County’s water supply for years to come.”
The new agreement goes into effect as soon as Gwinnett County pays its first storage fee. The contract remains in effect for a minimum of thirty years.
