(Ed. Note: This is the first of two articles on the Jones County water system.)
The Jones County water system has grown significantly since its beginning in the 1970s, and local officials are counting on additional expansions to serve residents who have issues with the availability of sufficient water for their everyday use.
The public water system started operating when the county purchased a private system that was owned and utilized by the late Robert Andrews for a subdivision
TAP FOR JONES COUNTY he developed off Highway 49 near the Bibb County line. Andrews was the first superintendent of the county’s system and held that position for over 20 years.
The customer base for the Jones County Water System has grown from that small area in the southern end of the county to approximately 4,700 meters serving an estimated 13,225 users. The network of lines provides water in various areas of the county, including River North and the Haddock community, where private systems were absorbed by Jones County.
County Administrator Jason Rizner recently detailed projects completed in the past couple of years as well as those now in the works but pointed out an increase in the number of customers brings on other needs.
“We’ve been working on water improvements on two fronts; the distribution lines, adding customers,” he pointed out. “We’re certainly doing a lot of that. But, to go with that, you’ve got to address the supply issues.”
The county uses wells as its source of water. While Jones County has the right under a longstanding agreement to purchase water from the Macon Water Authority, Rizner believes that has happened only once since he started in 2016.
“We can produce our own water for around 75 cents per thousand (gallons), maybe a little higher than that now,” he said. “If we go to the Macon Water Authority, it’s $3.85 a thousand.”
Rizner said the county is currently utilizing 12 wells, with another about to go online.
“We’ve added one new well, and we’re in the process of connecting that. In the last six to eight months, we’ve drilled several test wells. We’re looking for additional well sites with an eye to the future.”
The wells are in the southern end of the county, the Henderson Road and Griswoldville Road area.
“That’s a good thing, but it’s also a challenge for us,” the county manager noted. “It’s easier to get water there. That area of the county has sandy soil, and you can hit water, a great volume of water a lot easier than you can this way, in the middle and northern portion of the county, where rocks and granite are plentiful.
“It’s good that it’s there, but you’ve got to pump it this way.”
To help facilitate the distribution of the water produced by those wells, the county owns seven storage tanks that are situated across the county. An eighth tank is in the works just outside Gray, Rizner pointed out.
“A new elevated storage tank at the corner of Lite-n-Tie and Overland Way was just approved,” he said. “That was just awarded Tuesday; $2.8 million for an elevated tank, 750,000 gallons.”
One of those 4,700 meters through which county water flows is owned by another government entity, the City of Gray.
“By far they’re our largest customer,” Rizner acknowledged. “In recent years, they’ve bought about half of their water from us. We want to have plenty of supply to be able to send to them.
“I know they’re actively looking for additional sources of water,” he continued. “The same deal, where we’d rather not buy it from the Macon Water Authority due to cost considerations, applies to them with us. If they can produce it on their own, it’d probably save them some money, too.”
The county manager said the city receives no discount.
“They pay the same as other customers. We have one rate, whether it’s residential, business, institutional, it’s all the same,” he commented.
According to figures provided by the county, the City of Gray has bought an average of 7,564,000 gallons of water per month since September. At a cost of $4.44 per 1,000 gallons, Gray has paid just under $33,600 monthly since then for water.
City of Gray council member James Collins said that number actually “sounded a little on the low side,” and Rizner stated that the county had budgeted an average of $38,611 monthly for the current fiscal year.
Rizner said that the county is in a position financially to undertake various projects. He explained that the Board of Commissioners utilized an expert to analyze the system’s rate structure, costs, revenues and plans for growth. That information was fed into a computer module, he said.
“At the end, it’ll spit out what your rates ought to be,” Rizner noted. “So, the board approved a new rate structure to help pay for all these things. We went to the bond market, did about $15 million worth of bonds.”
At about the same time, Rizner recalled, COVID-related funds became available, and the county received just under $4 million for water projects.
“So, roughly, we have about $20 million that we’re using,” he rounded off, adding that funds for bond payments come from various sources.
“We’re repaying it with a combination of SPLOST funds, additional revenue from new customers, tap fees, and some new construction money that’s basically water revenue money that’s been set aside over time to help pay for it.”
Rizner said the commissioners and he are optimistically looking to the future.
“We’re excited about all of it and think we’ll be able to serve a lot of new customers and get our water system to a good spot.”
(Next week: A look at various water system projects and sewer service in Jones County.)
