By John Gentry 
Article Word Count: 404 [View Summary] Comments (0)
Currently, there is a $4 billion overhaul of Atlanta, Georgia's sewer system going underway. Of course, the city has several years to accomplish this task. The project began within this past decade, but there are many changes that still need to be made to update the archaic sewer system and improve the quality of water. In the meantime, South Georgia residents are experiencing more than their fair share of pollutants in the water. Still, Atlanta city officials say they have already added a great deal of new sewer development. This is a good amount of momentum that will hopefully keep up until all the necessary changes have been made.
The condition of Atlanta's current sewer system is clearly in need of updating when you realize that it is about a century old. It was designed to transport raw sewage, rainwater and pollution through underground pipes-this is not dissimilar from other large cities' sewer systems. The difference is that, at least until the mid-80s, any rain received into the system would send untreated waste, toilet paper, and other unsanitary materials to streams and eventually find their way to downstream cities. Even a decade later, Atlanta was responsible for $7 million per year in pollution-related fines. More recently, this number has generally landed below $100,000.
The only problem with the expensive project to fix the outdated sewer systems of Atlanta is exactly that-it is very expensive. The watershed department of the city is already seeing a dramatically low revenue projection. At the same time, $200 million a year are being spent to pay off debts. This is about 40% of the general budget. The costly changes must be funded from somewhere, and the thought is that without an extension to complete the project, citizens of Atlanta, a quarter of which live below the poverty line, will easily have the most expensive water and sewer bills in the country.
Everyone in the Atlanta area is aware of the problems, but that does not mean they can solve themselves. The mayor in 2002 suggested a 1% sales tax increase to help fund the sewer system's overhaul. Through all the efforts city officials have made, they were recognized as a leaders committed to making all necessary improvements to meet federal standards. Whatever methods are used to update the sewer systems of Atlanta, cities and counties downstream are eager for them to complete the project as quickly as possible.
The condition of Atlanta's current sewer system is clearly in need of updating when you realize that it is about a century old. It was designed to transport raw sewage, rainwater and pollution through underground pipes-this is not dissimilar from other large cities' sewer systems. The difference is that, at least until the mid-80s, any rain received into the system would send untreated waste, toilet paper, and other unsanitary materials to streams and eventually find their way to downstream cities. Even a decade later, Atlanta was responsible for $7 million per year in pollution-related fines. More recently, this number has generally landed below $100,000.
The only problem with the expensive project to fix the outdated sewer systems of Atlanta is exactly that-it is very expensive. The watershed department of the city is already seeing a dramatically low revenue projection. At the same time, $200 million a year are being spent to pay off debts. This is about 40% of the general budget. The costly changes must be funded from somewhere, and the thought is that without an extension to complete the project, citizens of Atlanta, a quarter of which live below the poverty line, will easily have the most expensive water and sewer bills in the country.
Everyone in the Atlanta area is aware of the problems, but that does not mean they can solve themselves. The mayor in 2002 suggested a 1% sales tax increase to help fund the sewer system's overhaul. Through all the efforts city officials have made, they were recognized as a leaders committed to making all necessary improvements to meet federal standards. Whatever methods are used to update the sewer systems of Atlanta, cities and counties downstream are eager for them to complete the project as quickly as possible.
