Wednesday, February 12, 2025–12:00 p.m.
-David Crowder, WRGA News-
Floyd County water customers may see a rate increase for the first time since 2013.
During a called meeting of the county’s public utilities and transportation committee, the results of a water rate study were shared, and it showed that costs have increased, some dramatically, over the past 12 years.
“We have realized savings from external sources over the last 10 or 12 years, and we have done a great job with that,” said Floyd County Manager Jamie McCord. “The diversity of our connectivity has grown and given us some options in what’s in our best interest. We’ve also grown our system, but everybody is aware that utilities, chlorine, fluoride, chemical, and treatment costs have increased. In some instances, we’ve doubled if not quadrupled costs. We’ve held steady as long as we can.”
For instance, the cost of chemicals for water treatment has increased more than 664 percent since 2013.
A rate increase of 15 percent for 2025 is being recommended to get the county back in line with where it needs to be with its five-year capital improvement program. The increase would mean an extra $3.92 a month for the typical water customer.
“Nobody wants to see an increase, but we are just at that point where we have to look ahead to the new systems coming online—the Biddy Well project and a lot of other capital projects,” McCord said. “We also have to maintain our meters and we are replacing some lines. We also have our connections to Cave Spring and Highway 53, putting in new water lines to keep everything serviced, flowing, and functioning.”
According to McCord the cost to get the Biddy Road well operational could be anywhere from $5-$25 million because developing wells and treatment processes in today’s world with the testing limit can be a big variable.
“The one good thing is, we’ve got a really good source of water there,” he said. “The potential flow is north of 3 million gallons per day and could be to 4 million. That will be a great resource to relieve Old Mill Springs which covers basically half the county. It would also push water to the southeast. It’s also in the Highway 411 corridor where we can partner with the City of Rome or serve our residential customers in that area.”
Another future cost will be with utility relocation as part of the next two legs of the bypass from Highway 27 South to Highway 101 to Highway 411. The Georgia Department of Transportation project is expected to put the project out to bid in January 2028.
Other county water projects include the Brighton Treatment Plant filter rehab, which began in December; a line extension on Big Texas Valley Road, which is expected to begin in mid-March and a man replacement on Highway 53, which has an estimated completion date of December 2026.
Meanwhile, all water systems are facing a deadline of April of 2029 before running the risk of being cited by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency when new water quality standards, which are essentially zero-tolerance for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS, start being enforced.
“That’s a little unknown,” McCord said. “We have been either ‘no-detects’ or well below the previous threshold. The new threshold is virtually no-detect. So, we will be testing all of our systems later this year. The Shannon Treatment Plant is the only surface water system we have. Everything else is groundwater, well water, or spring. We hope we are in good shape everywhere, but we are going through that testing process and will have to see.”
Like the City of Rome, Floyd County’s water system is also an enterprise fund, which means it is self-sustaining and is not funded by tax dollars.
The full Floyd County Commission is expected to discuss the water rate increase during their caucus on February 25. If approved, the new rates would go into effect on April 1. The increase is only proposed for 2025 with the county re-evaluating for next year.
