City receives infrastructure money

     Gov. 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, including $4.3 million for the City of Toccoa.
    The monetary awards will ensure communities in high-need areas have reliable and safe drinking water and wastewater systems.
      Toccoa’s $4.3 million award will be used to pay for renovation and expansion of the city’s Toccoa Creek wastewater treatment plant on Scenic Drive.
       “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 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.