The story so far
In February, an Atlanta Journal-Constitution investigation detailed the behind-the-scenes political battle to save the privately owned Cauley Creek sewer treatment plant in Johns Creek. Fulton County officials terminated their contract with the plant in 2012, saying they didn’t need it. The AJC’s investigation showed the owner and his allies lobbied the governor’s office, a regional water board and the state Environmental Protection Division to try to convince Fulton officials to keep the plant open. After initially signaling the county didn’t need permission to close the plant, EPD later objected and launched an audit of Fulton County that Cauley Creek’s owner has used as leverage to convince county officials to reopen the plant. A private consultant recently affirmed the county doesn’t need the plant. Today, the AJC reports on the continuing discussion about the plant’s future and how it could affect Fulton County water and sewer customers.
Nearly 112,000 Fulton County sewer customers could see a rate hike if the county buys a private sewage treatment plant in Johns Creek, public records obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution show.
A preliminary consultant's report recently concluded the county doesn't need the Cauley Creek wastewater treatment plant, which closed three years ago, and reopening the plant would cost tens of millions of dollars. Fulton officials believe that cost will require them to raise sewer rates, according to a staff memo obtained by the AJC.
But Cauley Creek’s owner continues to lobby Fulton officials to buy the facility, hundreds of pages of county e-mails and other correspondence obtained by the newspaper show. And he’s employed a former County Commission chairman to help make his case.
Owner Ron Green told the AJC his plant is still the county’s best option to ensure it has enough sewer capacity to accommodate growth in north Fulton. He said some of the consultant’s information is wrong and that he has a right to “get the word out to those who are making decisions as to what the true facts are.”
It’s unclear whether Cauley Creek’s lobbying campaign is making headway with Fulton officials. County Manager Dick Anderson remains skeptical that reopening the plant makes sense, though he’s waiting for the final consultant’s report before making his recommendation to the Board of Commissioners.
At least one commissioner – Bob Ellis – also isn’t sure reopening the plant makes sense, based on the preliminary information.
“There’s been a lot of noise around this particular topic,” Ellis said. “You’ve got a group that wants to sell a facility. They want to position the argument so that it makes the most sense for them.”
Arguments have raged around Cauley Creek for years.
Green opened the plant in 2002 to treat sewage for Fulton County, which had maxed out its sewer capacity in much of north Fulton. That led the state Environmental Protection Division to impose a moratorium on new sewer hookups, which hindered development in the area.
Fulton County contracted with Cauley Creek to turn sewage into non-drinkable irrigation water, which it provided to about two dozen customers, including several golf courses and churches. Its additional treatment capacity helped the county end the moratorium.
But in 2010 the county opened its own, larger treatment plant: the Johns Creek Environmental Campus. With much of that plant’s capacity going unused, Fulton officials concluded they no longer needed Cauley Creek.
County commissioners terminated the contract in 2012, and Green was forced to close Cauley Creek at the end of the year. Fulton officials say the move will save $49 million through 2021.
To soften the impact on Cauley Creek’s former customers, the county charged them a discounted rate for drinkable water they could use for irrigation. But that ran afoul of a regional water conservation plan, prompting the EPD rejected the county’s request to expand two other north Fulton treatment plants.
Earlier this year, the AJC reported Green has used the EPD action as leverage to convince Fulton officials to reopen his plant. He's offered to sell Cauley Creek for $15 million.
In July a draft consultant’s report found the Johns Creek Environmental Campus has more than enough capacity to meet the area’s sewage treatment needs for the next 20 years. When new capacity is needed, the report found buying and operating Cauley Creek would cost Fulton about $28 million over 20 years. Expanding the county’s own Johns Creek plant would cost just $6.5 million, the report found.
Recent county correspondence obtained by the newspaper sheds new light on the behind-the-scenes discussion:
- According to a recent staff memo, Fulton would have to raise sewer rates for its 111,700 customers if it reopens Cauley Creek. The memo says the rate hike would be needed to operate and maintain two facilities instead of one in the Johns Creek area. Anderson told the AJC it's not clear how big a rate hike would be required, and expansion of other north Fulton plants may require a rate increase anyway.
When Fulton ended its Cauley Creek contract it was able to cut water and sewer rates by 4 percent. That saved the average customer about $25 a year, though some commercial customers saved thousands of dollars.
- Green does not believe buying the plant would require a rate increase. He maintains Cauley Creek is the county's best, most cost-effective option for obtaining sewer capacity.
He’s trying to convince the county to pipe sewage from elsewhere in north Fulton to the Johns Creek and reopen Cauley Creek can reopen – a move he argues would allow Fulton to postpone the expansion of another plant. The consultant found that “may well be practically impossible” because of cost and other concerns, but is still studying the issue.
- Green has employed former County Commission Chairman Mike Kenn as a consultant to help make his case. Kenn told the AJC that Cauley Creek is needed to ensure the county doesn't endure another sewer moratorium.
“I already lived through it once, when I was chairman of Fulton County,” Kenn said. “It’s the last thing you want to have happen.”
The final consultant’s report is due soon. Anderson believes the report likely will show reopening Cauley Creek doesn’t make sense.
Green has not given up. But he said he has other options for the treatment plant property along the Chattahoochee River.
“If they decide this isn’t the best option, it will make a very nice subdivision on the river for someone,” he said.
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