The Cobb County Water System has finalized its purchase of the city of Powder Springs' water and sewer system.
The transfer of the system was effective June 25, bringing about 7,000 water and 5,600 sewer customers from the city into Cobb County’s fold.
Powder Springs City Manager Pam Conner said the county will pay the city $550,000 each year for 10 years, for a total price tag of $5.5 million. New customers will receive their first bills between late July and the middle of August, but the city notes the timing will depend on when the accounts are formally added into Cobb's system.
Conner said county commissioners approved the purchase in December and the City Council approved the sale in early 2019. Cobb is acquiring 438,000 linear feet of sewer infrastructure and about 412,000 feet in water pipes.
Cobb County said absorbing Powder Springs’ system will “provide more effective services” by reducing costs and eliminating redundancies in operating two systems. Conner also said the sale will allow Powder Springs residents to receive the same level of service at a reduced cost since the county can spread out the cost of repairs and replacements over its larger customer base.
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“The county is the best entity to do that,” she said of paying for projects.
The Cobb system serves more than 180,000 homes and businesses in Acworth, Kennesaw, Austell, Powder Springs and unincorporated Cobb, according to its website. The cities of Smyrna and Marietta operate their own water systems.
Some Powder Springs water employees were also transferred to Cobb County, so “no one has lost their job” due to the sale. Conner added any remaining employees who stayed with the city were transferred to other departments.
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Cobb County Water System Director Steve McCullers said Powder Springs residents will receive a welcome letter with information about the system.
“We look forward to providing Powder Springs’ customers the same high quality of service that we have traditionally provided,” he said. “Even though operation during this transition period may be somewhat challenging, we believe that this step will be of benefit to both the city and the water system.”
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