In mid-August, the Gwinnett Board of Commissioners approved a long-term agreement with the state of Georgia to store its drinking water in Lake Lanier.
The contract calls for Gwinnett County to pay approximately $1.5 million annually toward the cost of storage. Separately a percentage for the costs for lake repair, rehabilitation and replacement, operations and maintenance will be assessed annually.
Early last year, Georgia entered into a Master Storage Agreement with the United States Department of the Army to secure water supply for multiple jurisdictions, Gwinnett County included, according to a news release issued by the county. While Gwinnett and others have used water in the lake for many years, this contract for the first time grants long-term rights to storage volume in Lake Lanier to meet Gwinnett County’s water supply needs.
The contract will be in effect for at least 30 years.
