Savannah Standard

The State of Georgia General Assembly has approved funding for a new Coastal Georgia Regional Water Partnership involving the City of Savannah, Bryan County, and Effingham County. The partnership aims to address water supply needs in the region through infrastructure projects.

Governor Brian Kemp and the General Assembly have allocated $501.7 million for this initiative. The funds will be distributed via the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) as state direct investments and zero-interest loans. This allocation is part of the $40.5 billion midyear budget approved by the General Senate on March 3, 2025, and signed by Governor Kemp on March 6, 2025.

City Manager Jay Melder commented on the importance of this partnership: “This partnership is a major step towards securing the future of our utility capacity for Savannah and Chatham County.” He expressed gratitude to Governor Kemp, House Speaker John Burns, and the Georgia General Assembly for their support.

Mayor Van R. Johnson II emphasized the significance of securing funding: "As the region’s primary utility provider, securing funding to enhance our infrastructure today is essential to meeting the needs of our customers tomorrow."

Phase one of the project includes upgrades to Savannah’s I&D Water Treatment Plant, construction of a new water transmission line by Effingham County, and a connection line between Bryan County and Hyundai Meta Plant site. Completion is expected between 2028 and 2029.

Phase two involves constructing a new raw water intake on the Savannah River for Effingham County along with other facilities to serve the region. This phase aims to improve reliability and system redundancy across regional utilities with completion anticipated between 2030 and 2032.

Effingham County will receive $319 million for new infrastructure; Savannah will get $146 million for plant expansion; Bryan County will obtain $36.7 million for transmission infrastructure.

These efforts aim to reduce reliance on groundwater from Floridan Aquifer while supporting groundwater management strategies initiated due to overuse concerns since 2006.

The region's water demand has increased significantly since 2015 with projections indicating further growth necessitating additional supply capacity by 2035.

Savannah currently serves potable water to over 80,000 metered accounts affecting approximately 350,000 people in total.