City to Overhaul, Upgrade Eastanolle Wastewater Treatment Plant

Heavy rainfall in May has revealed the need for a major upgrade to one of the City of Toccoa’s wastewater treatment plants.

At a recent session, the City Commission heard about the need for a complete overhaul of the Eastanollee wastewater treatment plant.

City Manager Billy Morse said the need to upgrade the plant was evident when over 14 inches of rain fell last month.

“The heavy rains we had recently pointed out some problems that we have there with the ability to handle massive amounts of water during a heavy rain events,” Morse explained. “So we’re starting the process of doing the 20-year update to that facility.”

Morse says the entire facility will be upgraded.

“They call it ‘the works,'” he said. “The works will be redone, upgraded. We’ll put in an additional basin for heavy rain events. Bascially, it’s a holding pond. And, there’ll be some renovation of what’s there and then some improvement and upgrading of the facility.”

According to Morse the total cost to overhaul the Eastanollee water treatment plant will be about $9-million dollars.

He says that’s why the City is going after two grants from the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority.

“We are. That’s one reason we’re doing it two packages. They have what they call principle forgiveness or grant. So we have an opportunity to get a half-million dollars twice. So, a million dollars in grant monies to help us,” Morse said.

Morse said the entire project, including obtaining the funding, will take several years.