A proposed wastewater treatment facility on the Broad River in Franklin County remains a point of contention, stirring strong community opposition and igniting controversy.
That was evident at a Franklin County Board of Commissioners work session Tuesday, April 29, as more than 50 residents packed the Franklin County Justice Center to demonstrate opposition to the project.
The facility, part of an existing intergovernmental agreement (IGA) between Franklin County and the city of Franklin Springs, is expected undergo construction for completion in the next year-and-a-half.
During public comments, nearly a dozen residents spoke out against the project and stated opposition rooted in the belief the facility could cause significant harm to the river’s ecosystem.
Like Franklin, multiple counties located downstream from the facility – including Madison, Elbert, Oglethorpe and Wilkes – have signed resolutions urging Georgia’s Environmental Protection Division to consider potential adverse environmental impacts the treatment plant could have.
“It kind of also was a hope that (EPD) would stop (the project),” Franklin County Commission Chair Courtney Long said.
Public comments
“We respectfully ask (the commission) to take a hard look at the intergovernmental agreement, and seriously consider receding it, for the good of this body and the county’s future” resident James Duhlebon said. “…this is how you protect this body and this community.”
Resident Daniel Tompkins then approached the commission to speak.
“That (facility) is going to be a forever blight on our community,” he said. “This county has been here since the Revolutionary War…and we’re going to blemish it with this kind of stuff? I just don’t get it.”
Karen Erwin also expressed resistance to the project, stating, “What alarms me are these backdoor deals to take our water and chemicals going into our river … These things mean the world to me. I don’t want people pulling it out for industry that’s going to abuse our water.”
Election officials respond
Despite the opposition, officials say the project is moving forward. Because the IGA was signed earlier this year, Franklin County has limited influence over the plan, which is being led by Franklin Springs at an estimated construction cost of $26–30 million.
“This is all Franklin Springs,” Long said. “There is really nothing we can do (to prevent it).”
While perspectives may vary, elected officials agree additional wastewater capacity is needed in Franklin, which could experience commercial and residential growth like much of North Georgia in the years ahead.
The county, which currently operates a treatment plant nearing its 300,000-gallon capacity, could benefit from the additional capacity provided by a new facility.
Franklin Springs Mayor Lee Moore emphasized the need for updated infrastructure for wastewater. He noted the city’s current treatment plant, built in the 1970s, is operating at its daily capacity of 100,000 gallons. The proposed plant would handle up to 1.5 million gallons per day.
“And it was very clear from the beginning that the county wanted to partner and be a customer of the new facility,” Moore said. “…people don’t understand wastewater, and they’re getting a lot of false information about it. Wastewater is a good thing. Wastewater is needed, and it will help the river because it is clear water that goes in.”
He continued: “The people that are (objecting) are using it as a means to stir division. Wastewater is something you have to have. You can’t do with it, and we have to provide it to our citizens, to our businesses. We don’t have a choice…what we’re planning for is not putting a bandaid on something for the next five years. We’re looking at 50 years down the road – where we’re taking care of a problem and an issue and solving it for future generations.”
Looking ahead
The Franklin County Commission is scheduled to hold its next regular meeting at 6 p.m. on Monday, May 5, at the Franklin County Justice Center. The city of Franklin Springs will meet next on May 15.
