The Haralson County Water Authority Board met on Tuesday morning during their regular meeting and sought to clarify a recently approved rate increase and the contract to buy water from Anniston.

In May the board voted to raise the price of water 31 cents to $3.58 for 1,000 gallons of water effective on July 1, 2008. According to Water Authority Manager Charlie Walker, many customers will see little to no increase in their water bills.

“One-fourth of our customers will not see any rate increase whatsoever,” Walker said. “Half our customers will probably see a rate increase of about 10 percent over the course of their bill, less than a dollar per month. Then a fourth of our customers, heavy users, will probably see a 30 to 100 percent increase”

Walker attributed to the rate increase to increases in fixed costs, which are independent of the authority’s ability to sell water. Furthermore, according to the board’s accountant, the water authority could face a $150,000 budget deficit during the next fiscal year without the increase.

Despite the increase, Walker asserted that water is still inexpensive, especially when compared to the cost of gasoline.

“Water is the cheapest utility you can buy,” Walker said. “... From where I live, when I go to Wal-Mart and back home it costs me a gallon of gas, that’s $4 now. Even with the increase, you’re going to pay $3.58 for 1,000 gallons of water. I’m not going to say it’s at cost, but it’s one of the best bargains you’re going to see for 1,000 gallons.”

The board also addressed concerns over the quality of water that will be purchased from Anniston. Board members stressed that water is one of the most heavily monitored utilities in the country, subject to both federal and state regulations. The board members also stated that their own water is subject to an inordinate amount of bacterial tests and chemical tests.

“If we had the ability to buy Tallapoosa River water and sell it, can you imagine the regulations and testing we would have to go through to bottle and sell it,” asked Walker.

Walker then presented the board and audience with Cold Water Mountain Spring Water, which is bottled and distributed by the Anniston Water Works Board.

“It has to go through the same regulations that we would have to go through in Georgia,” Walker said. “When you bottle water and sell it, it also has to get the blessing of the Food and Drug Administration.”

To further emphasize the high quality of Anniston water, Walker stated that the Anniston Water Consumer Confidence Report, which reports everything present in water, showed no impurities or contaminants.

The contract with Anniston will provide the Water Authority with drinking water at a cost of 85 cents per 1,000 gallons. Further costs will be added for transporting the water and the infrastructure required to move it. According to Walker, Cleburne County in Alabama will be used as the vehicle through which the purchased water will enter Haralson County.

The take-or-pay contract allows for the water authority to purchase a minimum of 200,000 per day. According to Walker, the maximum number of gallons per day could be as high as 1 million per day and eventually 2 or 3 million per day with infrastructure improvements.

With the contract approved by the Water Authority, water could begin flowing from Anniston within eight months to one year. The contract will last for five years, with provisions allowing it to be renewed for a total of 25 years.

During their meeting, the board also stressed that buying water from Anniston will not affect plans to construct a reservoir in Haralson County.

“What Anniston is doing is replacing the reservoir that we should have had,” said Water Authority Board Chairman Bob Downy, referring to the large West Georgia Regional Reservoir. “This is the water we need that we would be getting from the reservoir, if we didn’t get it from Anniston we’d be going on water restrictions every year. If it hadn’t been for the drought last year, we’d be on water restriction anyway.”

“This water we buy from Anniston is not a cure-all,” said Tallapoosa City Manager and board member Philip Eidson. “It is more the means we’re having to take to supply water to Haralson County. [...] It’s one of the many things we’re having to do to supplement what we can get out of the river.”

Previously, the county had been pursuing both a large West Georgia Regional Reservoir and a smaller local reservoir to address the county’s water needs. During a recent Haralson County Board of Commissioners meeting, Commissioner Bob Birky stated that it is unlikely that the large reservoir will ever be built.

“I talked to Tommy Craig, who seemed to be the one who had all the information on that particular reservoir,” said Birky. “He recommended to me over the phone that it wasn’t worthy pursuing.

“Were looking at a plan A and a plan B,” said Commission Chairman Allen Poole. “Pretty much the big reservoir is history, we’d like to pursue it, but based on the financial reality of this big lake, I don’t think it’s feasible, and we need to be proactive in looking at different sites.”