City of Atlanta CDP

Water Supply

Current Conditions

The City of Atlanta's Bureau of Water provides high quality drinking water to the citizens of Atlanta and Fulton County and on a wholesale basis to the cities of Fairburn, Union City, Hapeville, portions of Clayton, Fayette, and Coweta Counties (see Table 10.1 ‘Major Wholesale Customers supplied with Drinking Water’). Categorically, the City of Atlanta’s Bureau of Water supplies water to wholesale, residential, commercial and industrial customers (See Table 10.2 ‘ Percentage of Water Delivered in 2001 by Customer Type’).  The service area consists of 650 square miles, 148,000 connections and serves over one million people daily. The Atlanta Water System is one of the largest water utilities in the Southeast United States.

The City’s sole source of raw water supply is the Chattahoochee River.  The Atlanta Water System consists of   two water treatment plants; Hemphill and the Chattahoochee.  A third plant is jointly owned and operated by the City and Fulton County.  These treatment plants have a combined capacity of approximately 246 million gallons daily (mgd), although average daily demand and production currently stands around 120 mgd.

Since January 1, 1999 the City of Atlanta Water System, (except the jointly owned facility) has been operated under a 20-year contract with United Water Services Atlanta, LLC (contractor), a joint venture between United Water Services and William-Russell and Johnson, Inc., making Atlanta one of the largest contract operated systems in the United States.  United Water Services Atlanta is responsible for the operation and maintenance of two water treatment plants-Chattahoochee and Hemphill, transmission and distribution system, customer service, as well as billing and collection functions, with oversight provided by the Bureau of Water.  The City retains ownership of the water system’s assets, sets water and sewer rates, and manages the Capital Improvement Program.  The contractual relationship with United Water Services Atlanta, however, is being mutually dissolved during 2003.  The City is establishing a new Bureau of Water and, as of April 28, 2003, will again resume the daily operational and maintenance responsibilities of the City’s drinking water system.

Water quality is regulated at both the national and state levels.  The Environmental Protection Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources analyzes Atlanta's drinking water supply for compliance with established regulations.  All regulated contaminants were less than the maximum prescribed by law; unregulated contaminants were not detected in any samples (see  Table 10.3 ‘Drinking Water Quality Table’). Atlanta's drinking water has an excellent taste and is not in violation of any water quality standards.

Anticipated Future Conditions

According to Atlanta Regional Commission’s Regional Water Supply Plan of December 1997, almost 445 million gallons of water per day (mgd) is used in the Atlanta region. By the year 2020, regional water demand is expected to grow by approximately 50 percent from the current level.  Based on water demand forecasting, about 10 percent of the water needed in the year 2020 will have to come from conservation.  Furthermore, increased water allocations will be needed from Lakes Lanier and Allatoona and from the Chattahoochee and Etowah rivers.  In addition, several new reservoirs in the South Metro area are being built.  Groundwater can be expected to supply about 5 percent of total future water demand, at most.   

The Atlanta Bureau of Water has completed a hydraulic study to determine the system demand needs into the twenty-first century.  The recommended project improvements will enable the water system to continue to provide sufficient quantities of properly treated water, at adequate pressure to meet the increasing demands of the region.

The Atlanta Bureau of Water has implemented a comprehensive conservation program which includes leak detection, water main replacement, public awareness, youth education, xeriscape education and consultations, conservation retrofits in the Empowerment Zone, and the distribution of conservation literature and devices.  The Care and Conserve Program was implemented in 1995 to assist low-income customers with their bills and water conservation efforts.

Current Policies

1. Maintain an adequate supply of high quality potable water utilizing modern technologies.
2. Improve operations to achieve total customer satisfaction.
3. Continue to remain in full compliance with the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lead and copper rule.
4. Promote environmental awareness, conservation and protection of our water resources.
5. Provide sufficient water pressure to assure fire-fighting capabilities and continuance of high standards that result in lower fire insurance rates.
6. Continue to research alternative methods of disinfecting.
7. Enforce a Cross-Connection/Backflow Prevention Program to keep the system free from contamination through containment.
8. Assure the availability of short-term and long-term water resources.
9. Maintain affordable water rates.
10. Develop and implement water conservation education programs.
11. Update the analysis of water system demand based on new ARC population, household and employment forecasts.

The Table 10.3 ‘Drinking Water Quality Table’ shows the water quality monitoring results for 1999.  The results meet or surpass state and federal drinking water standards.  Data for the Information Collection Rule are from 1998.

2004 Current Programs and Projects

Project List 10-1: 2004 CDP Environmental Facilities Current Programs and Projects – Water Supply

WSRE=Water and Sewer Renewal and Extension Fund; WSRB=Water and Sewer Revenue Bond

2004 New, Completed, and Deleted Programs and Projects

Project List 10-2: 2004 CDP Environmental Facilities New Programs and Projects – Water Supply

WSRE=Water and Sewer Renewal and Extension Fund; WSRB=Water and Sewer Revenue Bond

Project List 10-3: 2004 CDP Environmental Facilities Completed Programs and Projects – Water Supply

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