Local developers got a closer look at future South Bryan water and sewer options Tuesday when the Bryan County Commissioners held a workshop at the County Administrative Complex before its regular meeting.
The workshop discussed the future upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant at WaterWays Township and the high cost associated with connecting to that line — around $10,000 for each new home built in South Bryan in the area of the County Administrative Complex, Oak Level Road and the new middle school near Belfast Keller Road. The county is looking to upgrade that facility from its current 200,000 gallon-per-day capacity to a 1 million gallon-per-day capacity. Ray Pittman of Thomas and Hutton Engineering, the county’s hired firm for water/sewer, explained the facility would only be upgraded as needed.
“Do not build it, but permit and design (an upgraded plant) to get it on the shelf so you don’t get painted into a corner,” Pittman said. “When you start building you build in phases.”
The first phase of the project would expand the treatment facility by 500,000 gallons per day, and the second by another 500,000 gallons.
But Pittman explained that for developers tapping into the sewer line, it would cost more than $10,000 per home. He said the high connection cost will include their share of hooking into the line, future upgrades to the wastewater treatment facility and a land application system (LAS).
The LAS, Pittman said, will spray the treated wastewater onto golf courses or pine forests for irrigation purposes instead of dumping it into a body of water. This way, he added, the county is being stewards of the water.
The connection cost is based on 300 gallons per day, he said, and each home is only paying for what they will use. The new Richmond Hill Middle School will also be connected to the WaterWays line and is projected to use around 35,000 gallons per day. The school’s share of tapping into the line is around $1.37 million, Pittman said.

Read more in the Dec. 17 edition of the News.