COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) – Columbus Water Works has been authorized to accept over $20 million in funding, to help improve water quality for residents throughout Columbus.

A September 2021 court ruling required Columbus Water Works to overhaul the Combined Sewer System to meet new permit requirements, and it comes at a hefty cost.

The three loans combined total 27.6 million dollars. Of that, “7.5 billion is for a new loan to address some of the new requirements for our CSO permit,” Vic Burchfield, Vice President of Columbus Water Works tells WRBL.

CSO, or Combined Sewer Overflow is the water that ends up in the Chattahoochee River.
A second upgrade will be made to the Uptown CSO plant – with grit removal and dechlorination
Being a water first community has it’s benefits.

“We’re a water first community here in Columbus, and we proactively reached out to get that designation. And because of that water first designation for the community, we saved 1% on the loan rate.”

Vic Burchfield, Vice President Columbus Water Works

In addition to meeting the new CSO permit requirements, the Bull Creek Main Sewer will also be upgraded. With record high inflation the projects are being impacted greatly.

“It’s needed at this time because of the market and because of the inflation right now with everything being so high. It also affected, you know, the cost of the pipe and the cost of materials, and so we’ve seen that increase here, too.”

Vic Burchfield, Vice President Columbus Water Works

Birchfield says the spending won’t have an impact on residents’ water bills.

“There will not be any drastic changes to your water bills because of this particular loan.”

Vic Burchfield, Vice President Columbus Water Works

The three loans combined total 27.6 million dollars from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund Administered by the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority.