New water plant, same pipes? A regional proposal looks to Atlanta

A proposed regional water plant could add supply in south Fulton without replacing Atlanta’s distribution network. In September, the Middle Chattahoochee Regional Water and Sewer Authority explored a roughly 13-million-gallon-a-day plant connected to Atlanta’s existing system—an arrangement that could leave member cities buying their wholesale water from Atlanta.⁠[1]

The supply question reached Chattahoochee Hills’ council on October 6. Mayor Camille Lowe reported that Atlanta Watershed officials had warned of limited capacity for future demand and a need for infrastructure upgrades. The conversation arose over water access and private-road easements for 26 homes at Cedar Grove Communities/Lindsay Properties, according to the city’s draft minutes. Lowe also said some developers’ existing agreements might still be accommodated; city officials did not know the details.⁠[2]

Chattahoochee Hills is not one of the authority’s three member cities—Palmetto, Fairburn and Union City—but the project has a local footprint. Lowe said the authority owns reservoir land in Chattahoochee Hills and that she wanted the city involved in conversations about how the system could affect it.⁠[1][2]

Money is a central obstacle. At the September 8 authority meeting, Chairman Tony Phillips said the existing financial structure could not support construction independently. He cited an earlier estimate of about $160 million for a smaller plant and said the proposed larger facility would likely cost more. Tom Owens estimated that existing wholesale-water revenue could support only about $60 million to $75 million in debt.⁠[1]

One financing option discussed was a “take-or-pay” agreement: Atlanta would make payments sufficient to cover construction debt and operating expenses even if it did not use all the available water. Under that scenario, the authority could sell primarily to Atlanta while member cities continued buying water from Atlanta through separate agreements.⁠[1]

That was an option, not a completed deal. The September discussion identified further Atlanta approvals as necessary before a formal commitment. Nor did it produce a dependable customer-rate forecast: Owens said those projections required construction and financing costs first. Chattahoochee Hills’ potential capacity needs were part of the discussion, not an established service commitment.⁠[1]

Authority leaders identified November 10 as a tentative target for a partnership proposal—not a date for water delivery. Government approvals and possible legislation in January 2027 were contemplated afterward. With that planning target approaching, the distinction matters: this was a possible route to more regional supply, not a settled water solution. The records reviewed for this account do not establish a subsequent agreement or confirm whether the timetable has changed.⁠[1]