Gov. Kemp Announces More Than $422M in Awards to Reinforce Water and Sewer Infrastructure in Communities Across the State
Press Release
Governor Brian P. Kemp, joined by members of the Water and Sewer Infrastructure Committee and state leaders, today announced more than $422 million in preliminary awards which will ensure communities in high-need areas have reliable and safe drinking water and wastewater systems.
"Because we remained focused on protecting lives and livelihoods throughout the pandemic, Georgia is now in a position to make strategic, transformational investments in our state's water and sewer infrastructure," said Governor Brian Kemp. "I want to thank the committee members for dedicating their time and expertise to help us make these awards as well as the grants team at the Office of Planning and Budget. I am proud to know that we have worked hard to prioritize projects which address pressing public health and environmental issues, support economic development, and enhance our ability to be good stewards of our water resources for generations to come."
These investments will help:
▪Improve drinking water treatment;
▪Extend drinking water service to high-need areas; *Improve drinking water infrastructure including interconnections and additional sources to ensure water system resiliency; high-tech meters and asset management systems to improve drinking water system responsiveness to issues such as leaks or line breaks; upsizing or replacing pipes to reduce leaks and water loss; and lead pipe inventory development and replacement;
▪Improve wastewater treatment, resulting in cleaner lakes and rivers;
▪Improve biosolids management, resulting in less waste in our landfills;
▪Improve sewer systems, resulting in fewer spills that can pose threats to public health and environmental quality; and
▪Secure Georgia's water resources for future generations.
The Office of the Governor would like to thank all the committee members who played an impactful role in evaluating the applications:
Mark Williams- Commissioner, Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Rick Dunn- Director, Environmental Protection Division (EPD)
Kevin Clark- Executive Director, Georgia Environmental Finance Authority
John Eunice- Deputy Director, EPD
Dr. Anna Truszczynski- Watershed Protection Branch Chief, EPD
Dr. Wei Zeng- Water Protection Program Manager, EPD
Sen. Blake Tillery- Chairman, Senate Appropriations Committee
Rep. Terry England- Chairman, House Appropriations Committee
Rep. Dominic LaRiccia - Georgia House of Representatives
Rep. Robert Dickey - Chairman, House Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee
Sen. Russ Goodman- Governor's Floor Leader
Sen. Larry Walker- Chairman, Senate Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee
Sen. Freddie Powell Sims- Vice Chair, Senate Interstate Cooperation Committee
Source