GWINNETT COUNTY- Gwinnett is the first metro county to secure a formal agreement for water rights from Lake Lanier.
Gwinnett County has used Lake Lanier as a water source sine the 1970s, yet any agreements with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that controls the lake have been informal.
Acting Water Resources Director Rebecca Shelton tells WSB the county currently pulls 76 million gallons a day from the lake, and now they’ll be able to pull 112 million.
“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 Shelton.
The allocation the county secured amounts to a little over half of the state’s total afforded volume.
“Quality water is important for our residents and visitors,” Commission Chairwoman Nicole Hendrickson said in a statement. “It is the small benefits that play a large part in why Gwinnett County is the preferred place to live and work.”
Existing county water and sewer funds will pay the $1.5 million per year for the new water rights, as well as a share of the state’s annual operations and maintenance costs at the lake.
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