County 20 years behind

Stormwater utility will need decades to solve flood problems, water superintendent says

Web posted November 16, 1998

By Jason B. Smith
Columbia County Bureau

Even using the proceeds from a stormwater utility, Columbia County will need 20 years to catch up with the current problems, a consultant says.

``It's tough to bite into something that's got that long of a payback. But if you wait, it'll be 20 years and one day tomorrow,'' said Hector Cyre, president of Water Resource Associates Inc., a Kirkland, Wash., company working with project consultant Ogden Environmental and Energy Services.

Residents should not expect the utility to eliminate all stormwater problems, Columbia County water Superintendent Billy Clayton said.

``If we start this next year and three years from now we get 12 inches of rain in 12 hours, the creeks are still going to flood,'' he said.

County Commissioner Pete Brodie said the local government must step forward and deal with the problem now.

``We've ignored it for 30 years,'' he said. ``Now it is time to pay the piper.''

Officials hope to begin setting up the utility next month to charge residents in Martinez and Evans $2 to $4 in fees starting in July. Meanwhile, the cities of Grovetown and Harlem are not obligated to participate in the utility, but can under an intergovernmental agreement.

The utility gives the county a guaranteed source of income for projects, Mr. Cyre said.

``If the county has a constant funding source, they can plan not just for the next year, but three years, five years, even 10 years in the future,'' he said.

Planning is essential to the utility's success.

``We got to look at this as a moving target,'' Mr. Cyre said. ``If we try to solve just the problems in Columbia County right now, we are going to be forever behind the eight ball.''

Meanwhile, officials have scheduled a second public hearing for 7 to 9 p.m. Nov. 24 in the Evans Government Complex auditorium. At that time, Mr. Cyre is expected to provide more details about the utility.

Jason B. Smith covers government for The Augusta Chronicle's Columbia County Bureau. He can be reached at (706) 868-1222, Ext. 115, or ccchron@augustachronicle.com.