Clarkesville is expanding its water system but some residents eager to tie onto it will have to wait.
City Manager Keith Dickerson laid out the city’s plans for its latest water line extension project during a called Clarkesville City Council meeting on Tuesday night, June 18.
Building a water system loop
The project will encompass several roads northwest of the city and complete a previous project on Bill Ramsey Road. According to Dickerson, crews will extend existing water lines on Alec Mountain Road to Stonepile Road. There, the system will connect with existing lines on Sutton Mill.
Crews will also lay pipe on Bill Ramsey and Zeb Bryson roads to complete the loop.
According to Dickerson, the bulk of the $866,162 project will be funded through an American Rescue Plan grant. The remaining $354,682 will be paid for with SPLOST funds.
The water line will be just over a mile long and, as the contractor installs the line, they will also install valves and fire hydrants, Dickerson said. At the city’s discretion, the contractor will also be able to install some water taps along the project route.
All American EarthWorks was the low bidder. The city council voted unanimously to proceed with the project.
Shallow wells running dry
Since the water line project details were first released, Dickerson says the city has received numerous calls from residents in the Sam Bell Road area eager to connect to the city’s water system. He said those residents have shallow wells that are running dry in the summer and many of them are buying water from neighbors with deeper wells.
Dickerson says he’s unsure whether Clarkesville can provide water to that area due to the terrain. The Demorest water system has lines at the opposite end of Sam Bell Road off GA 17, but it’s also unclear whether that system could service Sam Bell. Dickerson told the city council he plans to discuss the issue with Demorest in the future.
This article has been edited for clarity
