Oconee And Walton Counties Waiting On Water Withdrawal Permits

The Hard Labor Creek Regional Reservoir Management Board and the Walton County Water and Sewer Authority are waiting on final action by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division on a request for renewal of withdrawal permits from Hard Labor Creek and the Apalachee River.

Jimmy Parker, project manager for the reservoir, said “We have addressed all EPD comments related to water demand and future needs.”

The Environmental Protection Division staff is now setting up the final environmental monitoring requirements to be included in the permit renewals, Parker said.

Parker said he expect the permits to be issued in November.

Oconee County Commissioner Mark Saxon, chair of the Reservoir Management Board, will provide an update on the reservoir, a partnership between Oconee and Walton counties, at the Oconee County Town Hall meeting scheduled for 6 p.m. on Oct. 8 at Oconee Veterans Park.

Saxon and Commissioner Mark Thomas are member of the Economic Development Task Force, and Commission Chair John Daniell has said the Town Hall meeting also will include a summary of the work of that group.

For more on this story, with a video of the two most recent meetings of the Management Board and Water and Sewer Authority, please go to Oconee County Observations.