It’s hard to imagine the importance of water conservation and increasing capacity in Henry County to combat potential drought conditions when images of flooding from Hurricane Katrina are so prevalent in national and global news media. But locally, the need for additional drinking water storage capacity and distribution flexibility is a constant management challenge for the Henry County Water & Sewerage Authority (HCWSA).
To enhance its drinking water distribution system on a 1 million gallon above ground water storage tank in the Northwest part of the county, one of many areas of rapid growth within Henry’s borders. The increased storage capacity will benefit customers right away, especially since the HCWSA faces potential days of peak demand for drinking water this fall, says Lindy Farmer, HCWSA general manager.
"A lot of people don’t realize that the first month s during the fall can be some of the driest months in terms of rainfall during the entire year," Farmer says. "So the Northwest Elevated Tank will be coming on line right in time to add much needed storage capacity and distribution flexibility for our customers."
The authority is undergoing the finishing touches on the elevated tank, as the piping will soon be complete at which time the tank will be flushed and sterilized and ready to put into service. All that will remain after this final preparation to electronically operate the tank from the water production offices at its Towaliga Water Production Plant.
Until the new Tussahaw Reservoir and Water Production Plant come on line, hopefully as soon as next year, the Towaliga facility is the only water production plant the authority operates currently, and its capacity is limited at 24 mgd. Some days during this summer saw the authority’s customer demand for drinking water require the plant to produce and distribute up to 22 mgd. Purchasing drinking water from neighboring counties is sometimes necessary to help relieve tension on the system during these occasions of peak demand, but the average daily output for drinking water this summer has hovered around 18 to 19 mgd.
By boosting the authority’s reserves out in the distribution system, the Northeast Elevated Tank can be utilized during peak demand days and refilled during the evenings, when customer usage tapers off and when there is less stress from production at the Towaliga Plant. Thus, having another storage tank in the system will equate to additional means for replenishing the daily drinking water supply for HCWSA customers. The additional tank will also help assure there is adequate water pressure in the system, especially for firefighters using hydrants during emergency responses.
The Northeast Elevated Tank is not designated to serve a single area of the county. Rather, it works in conjunction with other tanks and pump stations to enhance the flexibility and efficiency of the entire drinking water distribution system.
"we’ve expanded the amount of usable water in the system dramatically over the past six to eight years, to the tune of about 14 million gal," Farmer adds. "This is one of many capital improvements within our long-range plans that is intended to keep us ahead of the curve in meeting the growing demands for drinking water by our consumers."
Source: Henry County Water & Sewerage Authority
