Friday, county submitted an amended application to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for a permit to build Glades under Section 404 of the U.S. Clean Water Act.
"This is a big moment for Hall County and a great opportunity for us to control our own destiny," Board of Commissioners Chairman Tom Oliver said. "Our future water supply for the next 50 years depends on this permit."
Friday's application outlines a plan to yield 80 million gallons per day from Glades, enough to supply Hall County and the region with raw water for decades to come. The proposed 850-acre reservoir in North Hall was originally slated in 2009 to yield 6.4 million gallons of water per day. The permit was revised following a federal judge's ruling that jeopardizes water withdrawals from Lake Lanier, making the county more dependent upon reservoirs and other sources of drinking water. Since then, Hall County has designed a reservoir system that will pump water from the Chattahoochee River to maximize yield without impacting downstream users.
The county anticipates receipt of a permit in 12 months, at which time the design will be finalized and construction begun. The total cost is expected to be $138 million, a price that is smaller than previously calculated because the county no longer plans to construct pipelines to transport the raw water to its buyers, the City of Gainesville and Forsyth County.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2011/6/239460