The intake is located 600 feet offshore.
Tidwell Park in Forsyth County will be closed beginning this month due to nearby construction of a water intake facility, according to local officials.
The park is located at 4900 Pilgrim Mill Road.
“This project is critical for Forsyth County,” said Director of the Department of Water & Sewer Scott Adams. “It will provide a redundancy and resiliency for all County citizens and will provide a reliable water intake to serve us well into the future.”
Engineering studies and design work for the project began in 2022 and construction of a new water intake, tunnel system and pump station will continue, in multiple phases, through 2031.
The current phase of construction work will force the temporary closure of Tidwell Park.
“Local residents around Pilgrim Mill Road can expect temporary impacts with the upcoming closure of Tidwell Park,” said Capital Projects Senior Project Manager Lynnette Ramirez.
The new Water Intake on Lake Lanier will be located approximately 600 feet offshore from the park and will transmit raw water through a 2,000-foot tunnel, located approximately 180 feet underground, to a new raw water pump station located at 4690 Pilgrim Mill Road. From the pump station, raw water will be conveyed through a 3-mile transmission main along Pilgrim Mill Road. Raw water will be treated at the county’s water treatment plant.
“During construction, stormwater best management practices will be in place at the project site to avoid sediment runoff into Lake Lanier,” said Ramirez. “For the marine work that will take place in the lake, turbidity curtains will be installed to avoid impact to water quality. All work will be monitored for compliance with federal, state and local regulations.”
Tidwell Park is anticipated to re-open in 2029 and will feature upgrades including a new courtesy dock, bank stabilization, resurfaced parking lot, signage, benches, osprey platform and more.
Future updates and information can be found by visiting www.forsythco.com.
Graphic: by Forsyth County
