Ellijay-Gilmer County Water and Sewerage Authority board members heard updates on several current and future water authority projects during a brief board meeting Monday, Oct 26.
﹣ A notice to proceed has been issued to begin work on extending water service to the Roundtop/Sunlight Road area off Highway 382.
Construction of the system extension project, funded by a $722,000 Community Development Block Grant from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, is expected to begin this week off Old Roundtop Road, noted water authority director Gary McVey.
“We’re still working on some of those easements, but we’re going to try to get those before we get to the (Lakeside) Mobile Home Park area,” said McVey at the Oct. 26 meeting.
﹣ Sewer infrastructure has been installed for rest rooms that will be built at Harrison Park, McVey noted.
“The sewer line and lift station have been installed. We’re waiting on an inspection to get the power turned on and then they will be ready to go,” McVey said last week.
Board members approved a not-to-exceed $31,974 expense for installation of the park lift station and force main at the Oct. 26 meeting. The actual rest room construction will be funded and overseen by the City of Ellijay.
﹣ McVey said a couple of violations had taken place at the wastewater treatment plant the week of Oct. 4-10.
“There was an issue at the wastewater plant that caused a couple of violations, (with) ammonia and phosphorus. It was due to an operator error. (Plant operation company) Woodard and Curran acknowledged it, and they will take care of any issues that come from it,” he added.
﹣ Board members approved an expense not to exceed $33,000 for repairing an air scrubber that has been out of operation at the wastewater plant. McVey said the odor-reducing equipment was installed during the last plant expansion around 2008, but its use was eventually discontinued for unknown reasons.
“The purpose of it was to reduce odors, especially over toward the park area. It does require very regular attention. It’s a biological filter, basically, that air goes through. What it was designed for was to take care of odors coming from where the main sewer comes in. It will help on some other issues, but I cannot guarantee it takes care of everything,” he added.
﹣ McVey noted that the water authority is currently selling 75,000 gallons of water a day to Pickens County and the City of Jasper via a system-to-system connection off Yukon Road at the county line.
That amount could increase to 150,000 gallons a day or more once an infrastructure update is complete on the Pickens end of the connection, he added.