Commission opts for sewer Alternative 3 - for now

Feb. 5. Citing lack of consensus and the need for further information, the ACC Commission avoided choosing between running a sewer line into the AR zone along Shoals Creek or increasing capacity of the upper portion of the existing Cedar Creek sewer line by opting for Alternative 3 - for now. This will allow Public Utilities to move forward with other portions of their "service delivery" plan while more information about potential water quality issues in the Shoals Creek basin is gathered. Grow Green considers this compromise a positive outcome - but only a temporary one. The threat to the greenbelt remains, with several commissioners adamantly in favor of the new Shoals Creek line. Please stay tuned!

Sewer line proposed for Shoals Creek would impact greenbelt

Jan. 23. The ACC Commission is preparing to vote on February 3 on a major infrastructure project for the Shoals Creek Basin. Public Utilities has proposed three alternatives, each of which would have a different impact on future development in the AR zone greenbelt.

The purpose of the project is to improve water quality by replacing the need for septic systems in that area. Grow Green supports the protection of water quality; we question whether building this new sewer line will accomplish it. There can be no question that building this sewer will increase development pressure in the AR.

Water Quality

Is there a water quality problem in this area?

• Shoals Creek is not on the state's 303(d) list of impaired waters
• UOWN has just started monitoring here, but results so far do not indicate a problem with fecal coliform

Are sewer lines better for water quality than septic tanks?

• Septic systems, when properly sited, installed and maintained, are both cost effective and environmentally sound.
• Although the popular perception is that septic systems fail frequently, the actual rate is very low; a study by the Clarke County Health Department found that the rate of septic system failure in Clarke County from 1998 - 2002 was 1.4 %.
  
  
  
• If septic systems fail, the waste that escapes is usually at least partially treated; sewer line failures usually spill raw, untreated waste directly into the streams along which they run. Athens typically has 10 - 20 significant sewer failures every year.
• Sediment is the major water pollutant in Georgia. Construction of a sewer line, that will likely run very close to the stream and cross it several times, is almost certain to cause significant stream sedimentation.

Development pressure

Sewers, like other infrastructure, drive development. A sewer line is more permanent than any zoning ordinance. Providing sewer service to the AR is contrary to our Comprehensive Land Use Plan. It will send a mixed signal, at best, about our commitment to managing growth in a sound environmental and fiscal manner.

Grow Green supports Alternative 2, which would increase capacity of the existing Cedar Creek sewer line (which does not encroach into the AR) for a cost of $2.5 million. Combined with a public education campaign about proper septic system maintenance, this would make for a far more cost-effective solution.

Alternative 1	Alternative 2	Alternative 3
view map	view map	view map
Provides gravity sewer service in all of Shoals Creek Basin. Population served is 9,100 (estimated in 2025)	Provides increased service to part of Shoals Creek Basin (only north of Lexington Hwy.) Population served is 4,500 (est. in 2025)	Does not provide increased service to the Shoals Creek Basin
New line to run along Shoals Creek.	Connects to existing Winterville lines. Requires additional sewer upgrades in upper sections of Cedar Creek Basin	No improvements to the existing system
Partial encroachment into Rural Zone (main sewer line will follow Shoals Creek which divides AR zone from RS zones although in some places Shoals Creek runs through AR zone.) Rural Zone service limited to existing permitted uses.	Does not encroach into AR zone.	Limits expansions to the existing service area (The pumping station now in use on this line is expected to reach maximum capacity in a few years. At that point, no more development accepted north of Lexington Hwy.)
Estimated cost: $7.3 M ($800/capita)	Estimated cost is $2.5 million ($550/capita)	Estimated cost: none