north fulton wastewater capacity analysis and economic ......the jcec is a state-of-the-art facility...

North Fulton Wastewater Capacity Analysis and Economic Assessment

Fulton County Department of Water Resources

Project No. 84426

07/27/2015

North Fulton Wastewater Capacity Analysis and Economic

Assessment

prepared for

Fulton County Department of Water Resources

Fulton County, Georgia

Project No. 84426

07/27/2015

prepared by

Burns & McDonnell Engineering Company, Inc. Alpharetta, GA

Engineered Horizons, LLC

Duluth, GA

COPYRIGHT © 2015 BURNS & McDONNELL ENGINEERING COMPANY, INC.

North Fulton Wastewater Capacity Analysis Table of Contents

Fulton County Department of Water Resources TOC-1 Burns & McDonnell

TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................. i

1.0 INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES ................................................................. 1-1 1.1 Objectives ............................................................................................................... 1-2

2.0 COMPLIANCE WITH DISTRICT PLANS ............................................................ 2-1

3.0 POPULATION PROJECTIONS ........................................................................... 3-1 3.1 Historic Population Trends ..................................................................................... 3-1 3.2 Future Population Projections ................................................................................. 3-2 3.3 Sewershed Population Projections .......................................................................... 3-6

4.0 WASTEWATER FLOW FORECASTS ................................................................ 4-1 4.1 North Fulton Sewersheds – Historic Trends and Metrics ....................................... 4-1 4.2 Intergovernmental Agreements ............................................................................... 4-3 4.3 Methodology ........................................................................................................... 4-4 4.2 Wastewater Flow Forecasts through 2035 .............................................................. 4-4

5.0 TREATMENT CAPACITY NEEDS ...................................................................... 5-1 5.1 Treatment Capacity Needs ...................................................................................... 5-1

6.0 ALTERNATIVES EVALUATION ......................................................................... 6-1 6.1 Big Creek Sewershed Alternatives ......................................................................... 6-1

6.1.1 Long-term Alternatives for Big Creek WRF ........................................... 6-1 6.1.2 Short-Term Management Options for Big Creek WRF ........................... 6-2 6.1.3 Big Creek Sewershed – Alternatives Cost Summary .............................. 6-4

6.2 JCEC Sewershed Alternatives ................................................................................ 6-4 6.2.1 Option A: JCEC Expansion to 20 MGD (Long-Term) ............................ 6-5 6.2.2 Option B-1: Cauley Creek WRF Purchase .............................................. 6-5 6.2.3 Option B-2: Cauley Creek WRF Restart (Private Operator) ................... 6-6 6.2.4 JCEC Sewershed – Alternatives Cost Summary ..................................... 6-6

6.3 Little River / Etowah Sewershed Strategy - Expansion to 2.6 MGD ..................... 6-6

7.0 RECOMMENDATIONS ....................................................................................... 7-1 7.1 Big Creek Sewershed Recommendations ............................................................... 7-1 7.2 Johns Creek Sewershed........................................................................................... 7-1 7.3 Little River Sewershed ............................................................................................ 7-2 7.4 Reuse Water Recommendations ............................................................................. 7-2

APPENDIX A - OUTREACH TO CITIES IN NORTH FULTON APPENDIX B – FOLLOW UP MEETINGS WITH CITIES APPENDIX C - COST ESTIMATE CALCULATIONS



LIST OF TABLES

Page No.

Table 2-1: Irrigation Customers Rate Implementation Schedule ................................................ 2-1 Table 4-1: Total Flow to North Fulton Wastewater Treatment Facilities ................................... 4-1 Table 4-2: Wastewater Generation Rate ...................................................................................... 4-3 Table 4-3: Wastewater Transfers between Counties ................................................................... 4-3 Table 6-1: Big Creek Sewershed Alternatives Cost Summary – 2015 Dollars ........................... 6-4 Table 6-2: JCEC Sewershed Alternatives Cost Summary – 2015 Dollars .................................. 6-6 Table 6-3: JCEC Sewershed Alternatives Cost Summary – 2015 Dollars .................................. 6-7



LIST OF FIGURES

Page No.

Figure 1-1: North Fulton Study Area and Sewersheds ................................................................ 1-1 Figure 3-1: North Fulton Cities.................................................................................................... 3-1 Figure 3-2: Historic City Populations in North Fulton ................................................................ 3-2 Figure 3-3: City of Alpharetta Population Projections ................................................................ 3-3 Figure 3-4: City of Johns Creek Population Projections ............................................................. 3-4 Figure 3-5: City of Milton Population Projections ...................................................................... 3-5 Figure 3-6: City of Mountain Park Population Projections ......................................................... 3-5 Figure 3-7: City of Roswell Population Projections .................................................................... 3-6 Figure 3-8: North Fulton Cities and Sewersheds ......................................................................... 3-7 Figure 3-9: Big Creek Sewershed Population within Chattahoochee Basin ................................ 3-8 Figure 3-10: Big Creek Sewershed Population within Etowah Basin ......................................... 3-9 Figure 3-11: JCEC Sewershed Population ................................................................................... 3-9 Figure 3-12: Little River Sewershed Population ....................................................................... 3-10 Figure 3-13: Etowah Sewershed Population .............................................................................. 3-10 Figure 4-1: Historic Population and Wastewater Flow Trends ................................................... 4-2 Figure 4-2: Big Creek Sewershed Projected Flows ..................................................................... 4-4 Figure 4-3: JCEC Sewershed Projected Flows ............................................................................ 4-5 Figure 4-4: Little River Sewershed Projected Flows ................................................................... 4-5 Figure 4-5: Etowah Sewershed Projected Flows ......................................................................... 4-6 Figure 5-1: Treatment Capacity Needs: Big Creek Sewershed ................................................... 5-2 Figure 5-2: Treatment Capacity Needs: Little River Sewershed ................................................. 5-3 Figure 5-3: Treatment Capacity Needs: JCEC Sewershed ...................................................... 5-4

North Fulton Wastewater Capacity Analysis Executive Summary

Fulton County Department of Water Resources i Burns & McDonnell

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Fulton County Department of Water Resources (DWR) completed its last round of master planning in

2008, with a Water and Wastewater Master Plan Update. Since that time the County has survived the

drought of record, the 500-year flood, and an economic recession that continues to challenge the view of

“normal”. With development and growth returning in earnest to the North Fulton area, DWR is taking a

careful look at how much wastewater capacity is needed at each of its facilities and assessing strategies to

provide additional capacity. To plan for this need, DWR commissioned this evaluation.

Purpose

This evaluation

accomplishes the

following objectives:

• Develop

wastewater flow

forecasts based on

the most recent

population

forecasts for the

North Fulton

sewersheds

• Assess wastewater

treatment capacity

needs for each

sewershed

• Evaluate and

recommend the most cost effective solution for wastewater treatment capacity in each sewershed,

including the evaluation of proposals regarding the Cauley Creek Water Reclamation Facility (WRF).

Results and Recommendations

• Study area is limited to the North Fulton area that is served by Big Creek WRF, JCEC or Little

River WRF, and the Etowah Basin that is currently unsewered.

• The planning period is 20 years; through year 2035.

JCEC

Big Creek – Chattahoochee Sewershed

Big Creek – Etowah Sewershed

Etowah Sewershed

Little River Sewershed

Figure ES-1. North Fulton Sewersheds

Johns Creek Environmental Campus (JCEC)

Big Creek WRF

Little River WRF

North Fulton Wastewater Capacity Analysis Executive Summary

Fulton County Department of Water Resources ii Burns & McDonnell

• Population projections provided by each city’s planning or community development department

indicated the area will grow by 27% over 20 years.

• Wastewater flow forecasts developed for each sewershed; total flow for North Fulton is forecast

to be 50.9 MGD in 2035.

• Treatment capacity assessment and recommendations:

o JCEC, a 15-MGD state-of-the-art facility, has adequate wastewater treatment capacity

through 2035. If additional capacity is required, expanding JCEC by 5 MGD to 20 MGD is

the least cost option for additional capacity. The capital cost of the expansion is estimated to

be $3.2M.

o Under current conditions, Big Creek WRF periodically experiences flows nearing the

permitted maximum month average day limit of 24 MGD, generally during wet months. The

least cost option is to fully utilize the 15.48 MGD of treatment capacity Fulton County DWR

owns in Cobb County Water System’s (CCWS) R.L. Sutton WRF. DWR plans to continue

coordination with CCWS on any collection system modifications to transfer flow to the R.L.

Sutton WRF. This approach provides treatment capacity through the planning period for an

estimated cost of collection system improvements of $30M. Alternatively, DWR can

preserve the owned capacity at R.L. Sutton WRF by moving ahead with the Big Creek

expansion during planning period.

o Little River WRF is currently operating at its permitted capacity. The sewershed is currently

under a development and sewer connection moratorium. This project should soon be clear

from a regulatory perspective to move ahead with an expansion in capacity to 2.6 MGD,

more than sufficient to meet the projected flow of 1.4 MGD by 2035.

• Reuse water recommendations:

o The reasons to implement a water reuse system have changed due to a changing regulatory

landscape. In the early 2000s, the North Fulton reuse system provided a way for wastewater

to be discharged when it a river discharge was not allowed. Now, discharges to rivers are

preferred and encouraged.

o Once a benefit to reuse customers, irrigation with reuse water is no longer allowed during

drought conditions.

o A business case evaluation is recommended for any and all reuse proposals to assess whether

a reuse water system is a viable and cost effective service for Fulton County to provide.

North Fulton Wastewater Capacity Analysis Introduction and Objectives

Fulton County Department of Water Resources 1-1 Burns & McDonnell

1.0 INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

Fulton County Department of Water Resources (DWR) provides wastewater collection and treatment

services to three primary basins, or sewersheds, in North Fulton County: Big Creek, JCEC and Little

River. Figure 1-1 presents the Study Area and sewersheds in North Fulton. The small black lines

represent sewer lines in the Big Creek (Chattahoochee and Etowah), JCEC and Little River Sewersheds.

The Etowah Sewershed currently has no collection system or treatment facilities. The wastewater

generated in this sewershed is treated by on-site systems, such as septic tanks.

Figure 1-1: North Fulton Study Area and Sewersheds

The sewersheds are generally aligned with the watershed basins and include the Johns Creek, Big Creek

Chattahoochee, Big Creek Etowah, Little River and Etowah sewershed. The Big Creek-Etowah

sewershed is located in the Etowah River watershed; the wastewater generated in this area is pumped to

JCEC Sewershed

Big Creek - Chattahoochee Sewershed

Big Creek – Etowah Sewershed

Etowah Sewershed

Little River Sewershed



the Big Creek Water Reclamation Facility (WRF) for treatment and was separated from the rest of the

Etowah River basin to account for this flow.

Wastewater generated within the sewersheds, except for the Etowah Sewershed, flows to treatment plants

owned and operated by the County including Johns Creek Environmental Campus (JCEC), Big Creek

WRF and the Little River WRF. A brief snapshot of current North Fulton wastewater treatment assets

follows:

The JCEC is a state-of-the-art facility that discharges highly treated effluent into the

Chattahoochee River and has a treatment capacity of 15 MGD on a maximum month average day

(MMAD) basis. This facility replaced the original Johns Creek Water Pollution Control Plant

(WPCP). In 2009, with the capacity and efficiency of the newly commissioned JCEC facility, the

Cauley Creek WRF, which was owned and operated by an private owner, was no longer needed.

The contract for use of the Cauley Creek WRF was terminated early and the owner compensated

as contractually obligated.

The Big Creek WRF has a permitted capacity of 24 MGD-MMAD and also discharges to the

Chattahoochee River. DWR currently diverts 3.5 MGD to Cobb County Water System (CCWS)

from Big Creek WRF for treatment. An additional 2 to 2.5 MGD of wastewater is pumped to

CCWS from Big Creek at three other pump stations, for a total of 5 to 6 MGD of flow. DWR

owns 25.8% reserve capacity, which is currently 15.48 MGD, at the CCWS’s R.L. Sutton WRF.

The 3.5 MGD diversion does not count against that capacity as it is in exchange for treatment of

flow from Cobb County.

The Little River WRF, located in adjacent Cherokee County provides tertiary filtration and

discharges to the Little River within the Etowah River basin. A planned expansion and upgrade of

the facility described in the August 2012 Design Development Report will improve treatment

technology via membranes and expand the treatment from 1.0 MGD-MMAD capacity to 2.6

MGD-MMAD. The Little River basin is currently under a moratorium until the plant expansion

completed. Little River WRF also provides reuse water to the Settindown Creek Golf Course.

1.1 Objectives DWR’s goal is to provide wastewater collection and treatment at the least cost to its customers. To

adequately plan for the next 20 years (through 2035), DWR requested a thorough, independent

assessment of wastewater flow forecasts in the North Fulton sewersheds and the required treatment

capacity needs. Based on treatment needs over the planning horizon, alternatives were developed along



with a present-worth analysis, including operations and maintenance. The most cost effective option for

each sewershed was identified and recommended.

A related objective that is documented in Section 2.0 of this document is the approach that will be

implemented for Fulton County to be in compliance with the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning

District’s (District) Action Item 5.1 – conservation pricing for irrigation customers. With compliance

achieved on this action item, progress can be made on the upgrade and expansion of the Little River

WRF.

North Fulton Wastewater Capacity Analysis Compliance with District plans


2.0 COMPLIANCE WITH DISTRICT PLANS

The Georgia General Assembly created The Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District

(District) in 2001. The District prepares stormwater, water supply and wastewater management plans,

which are approved by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD). The statute creating the

District provides that EPD may not issue a water related permit to any local government in the District

area not in compliance with the Plans. EPD conducts audits of local governments to determine plan

compliance. Therefore, in order to receive EPD permits for future wastewater treatment facilities in north

Fulton County, Fulton County must receive certification from EPD that Fulton County is in compliance

with the District plans.

One of the requirements of the District’s water supply plan is a fee structure for irrigation water supply.

The rate (cost to the customer) of this irrigation water must be greater than or equal to 200% of the first

tier residential water rate.

In December 2013, EPD informed Fulton County that the County cannot be certified as compliant with

the Metro District plan since the County did not employ the District required irrigation rate structure and

that nine customers in north Fulton County were paying irrigation rates less than the District-required

irrigation rate.

In order to comply with the District plan, Fulton County adopted the District irrigation rate structure and

developed a schedule to apply the newly adopted irrigation rate for the nine facilities. The timeline is

presented in Table 2-1.

Table 2-1: Irrigation Customers Rate Implementation Schedule

Customer New Rate Implementation Date

Johns Creek United Methodist Church November 2017 Country Club of the South December 2017

Atlanta Athletic Club January 2018 City of Johns Creek November 2021

River Farm Subdivision November 2021 Perimeter Church April 2022

Standard Club May 2022 River Pine Golf Club May 2022

St. Ives Golf Club January 2023

North Fulton Wastewater Capacity Analysis Compliance with District plans


In November 2014, Fulton County informed EPD of its new compliant irrigation rate ordinance and

committed to move the nine customers onto this rate according to the above schedule. Fulton County

formally requested EPD’s certification of compliance with the District’s plans and the District irrigation

rate. However, in April 2015, EPD denied the certification saying the nine facilities must have the 200%

irrigation rate immediately. EPD did state that there were no other issues to be resolved to achieve

compliance with the District plans.

Subsequently, Fulton County has cooperated with EPD to identify options to quickly and fully implement

its new irrigation rate. Of the several options presented and discussed, EPD and Fulton have agreed upon

the following course of action.

Fulton County will terminate or amend the existing irrigation water contracts for the nine customers.

New or amended contracts will be executed based upon a water rate equal to the established Fulton

County irrigation rate, which is equivalent to the 200% rate adopted by the District. Fulton County will

establish water credits to these customers for payment for easements previously granted to these

customers and/or the outstanding portion of the contract. The credits will be used for future irrigation

water payments and the cost of the irrigation water shall be the 200% irrigation rate.

EPD has tentatively concurred with this proposal, and Fulton County is now implementing this option.

Upon completion, Fulton County will provide the new or amended contracts to EPD who will then issue a

certification that Fulton County is in full compliance with District plans.

North Fulton Wastewater Capacity Analysis Population Projections


3.0 POPULATION PROJECTIONS

The first step to forecast future wastewater flows is to identify population forecasts for the Study Area.

This section documents historic population trends and the population forecasts used for this Study.

3.1 Historic Population Trends North Fulton County is comprised of five cities, as shown on the map in Figure 3-1. With the

incorporation of the cities of Johns Creek and Milton in 2006, there is no unincorporated land in North

Fulton County.

Figure 3-1: North Fulton Cities

As seen in Figure 3-2, the cities within North Fulton have experienced significant growth since 1990 (city

population estimates for years prior to incorporation were developed by the Georgia Office of Planning

and Budget or OPB). The annual growth rate in recent years has been between two percent and six

percent.



Figure 3-2: Historic City Populations in North Fulton

3.2 Future Population Projections Local, state and federal entities develop future population projections to plan for future services, such as

transportation, water, wastewater, parks, etc. Population projection data was obtained from a number of

sources for evaluation, including the following:

• Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC): traffic analysis zones (TAZ) data published in 2012 with

projections through 2040. The TAZ provide small area breakdown of population; typically

smaller than census tracts.

• The Georgia Office of Planning and Budget (OPB): county-level population projections through

2050.

• United States Census Bureau: 2010 census population counts and 2012 population estimates for

each city

• City of Alpharetta Community and Economic Development Departments, City of Johns Creek

Community Development Department, City of Milton Community Development Department,

City of Mountain Park, City of Roswell Community Development Department: each City

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provided most current population projections based on land use development vision and rigorous

projection methods

The Burns & McDonnell team met (in person or on the phone) with each City’s development director to

discuss population projections provided, current development patterns and vision for development

through 2035. Documentation of this outreach effort and discussion notes are included in Appendix A. In

general, each City conducted a detailed analysis of their available developable land coupled with future

land use plan, and calculated the population that would result from those future developments.

Comparison to previous Comprehensive Plans and/or ARC data showed that the current population

projections are not significantly different. Future population projections for each of the cities are shown in

Figures 3-3 through 3-7.

The City of Alpharetta uses the slogan “A Technology & Employment Hub” to describe the community.

Alpharetta contains 20 million square feet of office space (nearly equal to Buckhead’s 22 million) plus

four exits along Georgia 400. They do not anticipate significant single-family residential development in

the future, but see most of their development being commercial or mixed-use. Redevelopment is

occurring on a few large parcels that were formerly commercial space.

Figure 3-3: City of Alpharetta Population Projections

The City of Johns Creek anticipates continued single family residential as the preferred style of

development, with commercial development along the major corridors. The City Center initiative is

planned to attract more businesses and mixed use to the downtown area. Most growth is anticipated by

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2025 as large tracts of land for development begin to taper. The opportunity for redevelopment is

anticipated to be limited due to the number of single-family home subdivisions, which make it a challenge

to purchase enough homes to convert to new types of development.

Figure 3-4: City of Johns Creek Population Projections

The City of Milton has a strong desire to maintain the rural character of pre-developed Fulton County.

Thus, future development is anticipated to be predominately residential at a minimum density of one unit

per acre, which is the Fulton County minimum requirement for septic service. All commercial

development will be focused on three areas, called development nodes, including Crabapple, Deerfield

and the Arnold Mill Corridor. Currently, the first two have sewer service available; however, the Arnold

Mill Corridor does not. The City desires sewer service extensions to this area to allow for this to be a

commercial development node within the City.

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Figure 3-5: City of Milton Population Projections

As seen in Figure 3-6, the City of Mountain Park expects to remain very similar to the way they are today

with very little growth over the planning period.

Figure 3-6: City of Mountain Park Population Projections

The City of Roswell is currently well developed, and therefore does not anticipate significant growth over

the planning period. The growth that is currently happening and expected to continue is higher density

redevelopment near the downtown area, and mixed-use developments in other similar areas.

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Figure 3-7: City of Roswell Population Projections

3.3 Sewershed Population Projections North Fulton lies within two major river basins, the Chattahoochee, which serves as the eastern and

southern county boundary in North Fulton, and the Etowah, which bisects the northern portion of North

Fulton. The Chattahoochee River basin contains several tributary creeks, the two largest being Big Creek

and Johns Creek, both of which originate in Forsyth County.

The collection system in North Fulton is comprised primarily of gravity sewers, which generally follow

streams and rivers within a watershed. This is the most economical way to collect wastewater. Pump

stations and force mains are employed to pump wastewater from a topographically low area to a higher

area. Based on the topography, Fulton County developed three facilities to treat wastewater in North

Fulton County:

• The Big Creek Water Reclamation Facility (WRF) is located just west of the confluence of Big

Creek with the Chattahoochee River. In addition, as development moved northward, limited

sewer was constructed in the Etowah basin and is collected and pumped to the Big Creek basin

via pumping stations.

• The Johns Creek Environmental Campus (JCEC) is located adjacent to the Holcomb Bridge Road

crossing of the Chattahoochee River, south of the confluence of Johns Creek.

• The Little River WRF is located outside of Fulton County and serves the Little River basin. Little

River is a tributary to the Etowah River.

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The area served by a wastewater treatment facility is commonly referred to as a sewershed, since it may

not conform exactly to hydrologic watersheds. Each sewershed associated with each treatment facility is

presented in Figure 3-8.

Figure 3-8: North Fulton Cities and Sewersheds

Municipal boundaries rarely follow watershed or sewershed boundaries. So the next step in developing

wastewater flows is to use data analysis tools to translate the City population projections to sewershed

populations. Figure 3-8 shows the city boundaries relative to the sewershed boundaries. There is overlap

between portions of the cities between the sewershed boundaries.

A small portion of the City of Sandy Springs (shown in yellow on the Figure 3-8) contributes flow to the

Big Creek WRF and to JCEC. The majority of flow generated in Sandy Springs is treated by the City of



Atlanta. Using the TAZ data, the portion of the Sandy Springs population located within the JCEC and

Big Creek Sewersheds were assigned to those sewersheds.

The ARC-obtained Traffic Analysis Zone GIS data includes residential and employment populations for

5-year increments through 2040. TAZ boundaries are small areas located with county boundaries that are

generally smaller than census tracts. Using GIS, the city boundaries and TAZ boundaries, the sewersheds

were overlain and data joined to create sewershed populations based on TAZ data.

However, the most recent ARC regional TAZ data was published in 2012, and was lower than the local

projections for each City. The resulting sewershed populations were adjusted upward based on the

percent difference between the two data sets. The resulting populations for each sewershed are shown in

Figures 3-9 through 3-13.

Figure 3-9: Big Creek Sewershed Population within Chattahoochee Basin

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Figure 3-10: Big Creek Sewershed Population within Etowah Basin

Figure 3-11: JCEC Sewershed Population

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Figure 3-12: Little River Sewershed Population

Figure 3-13: Etowah Sewershed Population

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North Fulton Wastewater Capacity Analysis Wastewater Flow Forecasts


4.0 WASTEWATER FLOW FORECASTS

The population of North Fulton is expected grow by 27% by 2035. As discussed in Section 3, each

sewershed has its own vision for future growth, ranging from Little River’s 13% growth to Etowah’s 47%

growth over the planning period. The increase in population is projected to produce 50.9 million gallons

per day (MGD) of wastewater in North Fulton that will need to be managed in 2035.

4.1 North Fulton Sewersheds – Historic Trends and Metrics Daily wastewater influent flow rates for each facility located in each sewershed (Big Creek, JCEC/Johns

Creek WRF/Cauley Creek WRF, and Little River) for the period 2006 to 2014 were reviewed. From this

data, two important statistical numbers were calculated. Annual average day flow (AAD) rates and

maximum month average day flow (MMAD). The AAD flow is the amount of flow a facility receives on

average over the entire year; the MMAD flow is the average daily flow for the month with the highest

volume of flow. The MMAD flow is of particular importance as it is used to permit wastewater treatment

facilities and this is the capacity for which recommendations for additional capacity are made.

Table 4-1 presents the AAD and MMAD combined flow to all North Fulton facilities for years 2006

through 2014. An important ratio is the MMAD to AAD factor. This factor is applied to AAD flows to

estimate the MMAD. The geometric mean of the ratios is 1.20. There were significant weather events

during this period – the drought of record from 2007 to 2009 followed by the 500-year flood event in late

2009 both of which influence the ratio. Reviewing studies in North Fulton from years prior to 2007, the

average MMAD to AAD ratio used historically is 1.24 and was used for this study.

Table 4-1: Total Flow to North Fulton Wastewater Treatment Facilities

Year AAD MMAD MMAD to AAD Ratio

2006 30.36 35.04 1.15 2007 29.28 33.00 1.13 2008 28.41 32.33 1.14 2009 32.70 42.55 1.30 2010 29.35 41.28 1.41 2011 26.42 32.77 1.24 2012 24.35 26.88 1.10 2013 28.06 32.92 1.17 2014 27.88 33.81 1.21



When the average daily flow received at each facility in North Fulton is summed and plotted over time,

an interesting trend becomes apparent. As shown in Figure 4-1, the population increased by 20% and the

wastewater flows decreased by 20% over the period from 2006 to 2012.

Figure 4-1: Historic Population and Wastewater Flow Trends

Water efficient fixtures and changes in water usage behaviors are having an impact on both the regional

and national level. This net 40% reduction in water use and wastewater generation is a success story for

the conservation and stewardship initiatives promoted by the State, Metro Water District and Fulton

County. Similar trends are also being seen as the update-in-progress 2016 Metro Water District Plans

reviews water consumption and population for the 15-County region.

To develop wastewater generation rates, the base year of 2010 was selected, as it was a census year with

actual counts of the population, rather than estimates or projections of the population in each city. The

2010 AAD wastewater flow in each sewershed was divided by the number of people in 2010 in each

sewershed. The AAD wastewater generation rate for the base year is shown in Table 4-1.

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Table 4-2: Wastewater Generation Rate

Sewershed

Wastewater Generation Rate (gallons per person per day)

AAD MMAD Big Creek 125 155 JCEC 121 150 Little River 100 124

As seen on Table 4-1, the different development patterns for the sewersheds influence the wastewater

generation rate. The Big Creek and JCEC sewersheds have a mix of residential and employment while

the Little River sewershed is primarily residential. The wastewater generation rate includes all

components of flow including inflow and infiltration (groundwater and stormwater that enters the

collection system), and thus represents the flow received at the treatment facility. Compared to the

current Metro District-wide generation rate of 104 gallons per person per day on an AAD basis, these

rates are significantly higher.

4.2 Intergovernmental Agreements An important element of wastewater flows in Fulton County is the receipt and transfer of wastewater from

surrounding counties. Table 4-3 provides a summary of contracted flow allocations and reserved

capacity. Flows into the County are included in the projections for each sewershed.

Table 4-3: Wastewater Transfers between Counties

County

Allocation in Big Creek WRF

(MGD)

Average flow to Big Creek

WRF (12/14-5/15)

(MGD)

Allocation in JCEC (MGD)

Average Flow to JCEC

(12/14-5/15) (MGD)

Reserve Capacity at R.L. Sutton WRF

(MGD)

Annual Average Flow to Cobb’s WRF

(MGD) Forsyth 0.5 1.8 1.37 0.79 DeKalb 1.25 0.6 1.0 0.66 Cobb 0.7 2.6 15.48 5.4

DWR has an agreement with Cobb County that the Big Creek WRF can divert up to 3.5 MGD for

treatment at R.L. Sutton WRF in exchange for treatment of Cobb County flows at Big Creek. This

exchange does not count as part of the total Reserve Capacity that Fulton County owns in CCWS’s R.L.



Sutton WRF. In addition to the 3.5 MGD diversion to CCWS, DWR transfers flow from the Big Creek

sewershed to CCWS via three pump stations. With the diversion and pump stations combined, the

average flow transferred to CCWS for the past 12 months was 5.4 MGD.

4.3 Methodology To project wastewater flows for each sewershed in North Fulton the 2010, the wastewater generation rates

presented in Table 4-1 were applied to the population projections for each sewershed over the planning

period. The generation rates for each sewershed were held constant over the planning period, despite the

downward trend in wastewater flows presented in Figure 4-1. This decision essentially builds in a safety

factor for additional development or other unforeseen factors over the planning period.

4.2 Wastewater Flow Forecasts through 2035 The wastewater flow forecasts through 2035 are presented in the following figures. Please note that for

the Big Creek Sewershed, the 3.5 MGD that is currently conveyed to Cobb County Water System’s R.L.

Sutton WRF was subtracted from the flow forecasts at the Big Creek WRF through the planning period.

Figure 4-2: Big Creek Sewershed Projected Flows

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

30.0

35.0

2015 2020 2025 2030 2035

Was

tew

atr F

low

(MG

D)

Big Creek AAD Total Big Creek MMAD



Figure 4-3: JCEC Sewershed Projected Flows

Figure 4-4: Little River Sewershed Projected Flows

0.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

10.0

12.0

14.0

16.0

2015 2020 2025 2030 2035

Was

tew

ater

Flo

w (M

GD)

JCEC AAD JCEC MMAD

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

1.4

1.6

2015 2020 2025 2030 2035

Was

tew

ater

Flo

w (M

GD)

Little River AAD Little River MMAD



Figure 4-5: Etowah Sewershed Projected Flows

0.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

2015 2020 2025 2030 2035

Was

tew

ater

Flo

ws

(MG

D)

Etowah AAD Etowah MMAD

North Fulton Wastewater Capacity Analysis Treatment Capacity Needs


5.0 TREATMENT CAPACITY NEEDS

This section presents a comparison of the flow forecasts to the permitted treatment capacity in each

sewershed to identify long-term treatment needs in North Fulton. The Big Creek Sewershed has an urgent

need for additional treatment capacity. The Little River Sewershed has a need for additional treatment

capacity. JCEC Sewershed has ample capacity through the planning period.

5.1 Treatment Capacity Needs The wastewater flow forecast for each sewershed presented in Section 4.0 was compared to the permitted

treatment capacity to identify if and where additional capacity may be required. The annual average day

(AAD) flow is the amount of wastewater the treatment facility routinely needs to treat. However, due

primarily to rain events treatment facilities need to be sized to treat flows higher than the average flow.

Treatment capacity is designed and permitted to treat the maximum month average day (MMAD) flow,

which is flow average daily flow for the month with the highest volume of flow. Treatment capacity is

permitted on a MMAD basis.

Figures 5-1 through 5-3 provide an overview of treatment capacity needs for the Big Creek, JCEC and

Little River sewershed. The Big Creek WRF has a permitted treatment capacity of 24 MGD. As noted in

Section 4.0, the Big Creek AAD and MMAD projected wastewater flows were reduced by 3.5 MGD,

which is the amount of flow that Fulton County diverts to CCWS’s R.L. Sutton WRF for treatment. The

amount of flow that Big Creek pumps to CCWS (approximately another 2 MGD on average for the past

12 months) via other pump stations was not removed. This difference in approach is due to the diversion

being taken just prior to the Big Creek WRF while the other pump stations are located at other points in

the sewershed. This approach provides a level of conservatism in the assessment and provides a complete

picture of flows generated in the basin. As seen in Figure 5-1, the Big Creek WRF has an urgent need for

additional capacity by 2020.



Figure 5-1: Treatment Capacity Needs: Big Creek Sewershed

The Etowah sewershed does not currently have wastewater collection or treatment, except for the

southeastern portion that is pumped to Big Creek. The portion of the Etowah that is pumped to Big Creek

WRF is included in the flows presented in Figure 5-1. For the remaining Etowah sewershed, it is

assumed that the flows generated at commercial nodes described in Section 3.0 would be treated at the

Little River WRF. Collection system infrastructure would need to be funded and constructed to convey

the wastewater to the WRF. With the uncertainty over whether these projects will come to fruition, the

Etowah sewershed flows were not included in the Little River WRF projections at this time.

As seen in Figure 5-2, the Little River WRF is also in need of additional capacity. The Little River WRF

has a permitted treatment capacity of 1.0 MGD on a MMAD basis. The sewershed is under a moratorium

for development and connections to the collection system. Approximately 0.2 MGD of treated effluent is

pumped from the effluent discharge to the adjacent Settindown Golf Course.

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

30.0

35.0

2015 2020 2025 2030 2035

Was

tew

atr F

low

(MG

D)

Big Creek AAD Total Big Creek MMAD Permitted Treatment Capacity



Figure 5-2: Treatment Capacity Needs: Little River Sewershed

Figure 5-3 presents the treatment capacity needs at the JCEC facility. The facility is permitted to treat 15

MGD on a MMAD basis. As seen on Figure 5-3, JCEC has adequate capacity through the planning

period.

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

1.4

1.6

2015 2020 2025 2030 2035

Was

tew

ater

Flo

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GD)

Little River AAD Little River MMAD Permitted Treatment Capacity



Figure 5-3: Treatment Capacity Needs: JCEC Sewershed

0.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

10.0

12.0

14.0

16.0

2015 2020 2025 2030 2035

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tew

ater

Flo

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GD)

JCEC AAD JCEC MMAD Permitted Treatment Capacity

North Fulton Wastewater Capacity Analysis Alternatives Evaluation


6.0 ALTERNATIVES EVALUATION

To meet the needs forecast in Section 5.0, a number of alternatives were identified and assessed based on

economics, technical feasibility and ability to meet the need within the timeframe required. Alternatives

for short- (5-year), medium- (5-10-year) and long-term (beyond 10 years) time frames are presented

below for each sewershed along with cost comparisons of present worth.

6.1 Big Creek Sewershed Alternatives

The Big Creek sewershed is

projected to experience

flows of 24.3 MGD-MMAD

in 2015. With current

permitted treatment capacity

of 24 MGD, this will leave a

small deficit of 0.3 MGD, as

presented in Figure 5-1. By

2020, the Big Creek WRF is

projected to have flows of

25.8 MGD-MMAD, which

represents a growing deficit. Over the short-term, the Big Creek WRF will be managed to operate within

its permit. Several options exist for short-term and long-term; these alternatives are discussed in the

following sub-sections.

6.1.1 Long-term Alternatives for Big Creek WRF There are two viable opportunities for the long-term capacity needs at the Big Creek WRF. One is the 14

MGD expansion of the facility and the other is to take advantage of capacity Fulton County owns in

CCWS’s R.L. Sutton WRF. Each of these options is discussed in more detail below.

6.1.1.1 Diversion to CCWS Fulton County owns 25.8% reserve capacity, which is currently 15.48 MGD, in CCWS’s R.L. Sutton

WRF. As the facility expands, the capacity that Fulton County owns increases. Big Creek WRF

currently diverts up to 3.5 MGD of flow to Cobb County Water System (CCWS) and has conveyed up to

6 MGD through existing infrastructure without incident. The 2035 deficit in treatment capacity is

projected to be approximately 8 MGD for the Big Creek sewershed. The capacity available at R.L. Sutton

Big Creek WRF



is more than adequate to provide treatment capacity to the sewershed through 2035 and beyond.

Modifications to the collection and transmission system may be necessary to utilize the full capacity

owned by Fulton County. The potential cost for these transmission system improvements is $30M,

although a detailed study has not yet been completed.

6.1.1.2 Big Creek WRF Expansion to 38 MGD Expansion of the Big Creek WRF’s treatment capacity by 14 MGD is a long planned and viable

alternative. With construction costs ranging from $173 to $288 Million, depending on the treatment

technology selected, this expansion in capacity would address the long-term basin needs through year

2035 and beyond. It is conceivable that the CCWS diversion might defer the Big Creek expansion some

years while funding is secured.

6.1.2 Short-Term Management Options for Big Creek WRF The best short-term management option should segue into the selected long-term option with the least

amount of operational change and money spent. The options considered include additional diversion to

CCWS, Forsyth County flow reduction plan, and flow diversion to JCEC. Each of these options is

described below.

Big Creek WRF currently conveys up to 3.5 MGD of flow to Cobb County Water System (CCWS)

through an intergovernmental agreement and has conveyed up to 6 MGD through existing infrastructure.

The 3.5 MGD of flow diverted to CCWS is already included in the flow forecasts, but there is additional

flow that can be sent to CCWS with relatively minimal changes to the downstream collection system in

Cobb County.

6.1.2.1 Diversion of additional flows to Cobb County Water System In 2015, DWR diverted from 3.0 to 3.5 MGD of flow from the Big Creek WRF into the Cobb County

Water System (CCWS) under intergovernmental agreement. In addition, there are several pump stations

that convey wastewater to CCWS at other points before it reaches the Big Creek WRF. Records indicate

that Fulton has pumped a total of 5 to 6 MGD to CCWS in previous years.

One tool DWR can use to manage flows into Big Creek WRF during the next 5 years is to increase

pumping during peak flows as needed to meet demands at Big Creek WRF until the additional collection

system capacity is available or Big Creek WRF expansion is on-line by 2020.



6.1.2.2 Decrease flows from Forsyth County DWR is receiving a monthly average of 1.80 MGD from Forsyth County in the Big Creek basin for the

first half of 2015. A reduction in the flow from Forsyth County to no more than 1.25 MGD is scheduled

to occur by 2017. Meetings with Forsyth County during the research on this analysis found that Forsyth

is moving in this direction and will certainly not increase flows to Fulton County.

6.1.2.3 Diversion of flows from Big Creek WRF to JCEC (Short Term) As a contingency alternative, DWR completed a feasibility study in 2009 investigating the possible

diversion of flows from Big Creek WRF to JCEC to provide “relief” capacity during peak flows for the

Big Creek sewershed.

This option, while technically feasible may well be practically impossible. The option requires extensive

land acquisition for the pumping and transmission facilities to complete the diversion. The diversion

project, including planning, permitting, engineering, land acquisition and construction, would run parallel

with the time line for other long-term alternatives. With an estimated completion year of 2019 to 2020

for the diversion, the project would essentially become unnecessary with long-term options, such as Big

Creek WRF expansion or conveyance to CCWS facilities, also operational by 2020.

The Big Creek to Johns Creek feasibility study is approximately 6-years old and needs to be updated,

including more robust hydraulic modeling of the sewer transmission and collection system, before it can

be acted upon. The option, with an estimated construction cost of $16.8 Million, which does not include

all easement acquisition, is less attractive as it would divert needed funding away from the primary

objective of increasing capacity inside the Big Creek sewershed. Combined with the projected O&M

costs for the diversion transmission system, the total cost for comparison is $21 Million over the 20-year

planning period of operation, respectively. Existing Fulton County water and sewer ratepayers have and

continue to pay for the existing capacity at both Big Creek and Johns Creek treatment facilities. The

diversion project would effectively cause ratepayers to pay again to utilize capacity they have previously

financed both inside and outside Fulton County (i.e., Cobb County).

Diverting flow from Big Creek WRF to JCEC would tend to drive an earlier expansion of JCEC to treat

the increase in flow. It is projected that the expansion at JCEC would need to begin in 2020 and certainly

be in place by 2025. As discussed below, the estimated cost this expansion is $3.2 Million, with a present

worth of $5.0 Million including O&M for the 10-year window. The total expenditure for this intra-Fulton

County diversion would be approximately $19 Million plus $5.0 Million, or $24 Million for the 10-year



window to year 2025. The difficulty in implementing this solution combined with its costs has eliminated

it from further consideration.

6.1.3 Big Creek Sewershed – Alternatives Cost Summary Table 6-1 provides a summary of the Big Creek Sewershed Alternatives in 2015 dollars. Both estimated

capital cost and O&M are presented. Appendix C provides the basis for the cost estimates.

Table 6-1: Big Creek Sewershed Alternatives Cost Summary – 2015 Dollars

Alternatives Capacity Added

Estimated Capital Cost

Estimated O&M Costs

Total Project Cost (Capital

+ O&M) Long-Term Options Over 20-years Diversion to CCWS RL Sutton WRF (10 MGD)

10 MGD $30M $5M $35M

Expand Big Creek to 38 MGD

14 MGD $173M - $288M $13M $186M - $300M

Short-term Options Additional Diversion to CCWS RL Sutton WRF (5-6 MGD)

1.5 to 2.0 MGD

Minimal costs; coordination with CCWS

Minimally different than

current

Forsyth County Flow Reduction 0.55 MGD No cost No change

Diversion to JCEC 3.0 to 8.0 MGD

$16.8M+upgrade JCEC $5M

$2.2M over 10 years

$24M

6.2 JCEC Sewershed Alternatives The JCEC sewershed is projected to receive flows of 11.0 MGD by 2015. JCEC is currently permitted to

treat up to 15 MGD. By 2035, JCEC is projected to have 2.1 MGD

surplus capacity when flows are projected to be 12.9 MGD-MMAD.

DWR is projected to have sufficient capacity at JCEC for the entire 20-

year planning period. Included in these flow projections are flows into

the basin from Forsyth County which comprise approximately 0.76

MGD for the first half of 2015. Under the intergovernmental agreement

with Forsyth County, DWR has agreed to receive up to 1.37 MGD from

Forsyth County.

Based on this analysis, JCEC is forecast to have sufficient capacity to JCEC



serve the growth predicted in the basin, which includes the projected growth in the City of Johns Creek,

for the 20-year planning period.

For additional capacity to be needed in JCEC sewershed, one would have to believe the sewershed’s

population would increase by 75% to nearly double the current population (130,000 people). With

130,0000 people in the sewershed, the population density would be similar to Buckhead in Atlanta, where

approximately 7.5 people reside per acre. The Buckhead density compares with current Johns Creek

projections of 17% growth over 20 years which would yield 3.88 people per acre. To manage that

increased flow during or beyond the 20-year window, there are two options:

• Option A: Expand JCEC by 5 MGD to capacity of 20 MGD with a Capital Cost = $3.2M, or

• Option B: Purchase Cauley Creek WRF for additional 5 MGD with a Capital Cost = $15M +

upgrades and operating costs

The options are described in detail below.

6.2.1 Option A: JCEC Expansion to 20 MGD (Long-Term) When constructed, certain design and redundancy features were incorporated into the plant that would

provide an easy and cost effective expansion in treatment capacity when the future need arises. It is

estimated that an increase in treatment capacity to 20 MGD can be achieved for approximately $3.2

Million. This added capacity is the most cost effective solution for additional treatment capacity in the

entire North Fulton system. Appendix C provides documentation on the cost estimate for JCEC

expansion.

For the long term, JCEC is projected to experience flows of 12.9 MGD by 2035, which still remains

under the permitted capacity of 15 MGD.

6.2.2 Option B-1: Cauley Creek WRF Purchase The Owners of the Cauley Creek WRF propose to sell the dormant facility to Fulton County for an

immediate purchase price of $15 Million. As the facility has been effectively out-of-service since

December 2012, the outright purchase of the facility by Fulton County would require due diligence (on-

site condition assessment) to determine what additional improvements would be needed to restore the

facility to Class I reliability status.

Also, with an outright purchase of the facility, Fulton County would incur the annual operation and

maintenance costs for the facility. For comparison with other options for new treatment capacity in the



Johns Creek Basin, the present value of the purchase price plus long term operation and maintenance of

the facility over the 20-year planning period is estimated at $27.9 Million. Appendix C provides the basis

for this estimate.

6.2.3 Option B-2: Cauley Creek WRF Restart (Private Operator) As a comparison with the outright purchase, if Fulton County opted to pay for additional treatment only,

the Owners of the Cauley Creek WRF propose to treat up to 5 MGD for $3.25 per thousand gallons

treated. For comparison with other options for treatment in the Johns Creek basin, the present value for

the annual treatment expenditure over the 5, 10, and 20 year planning periods is estimated at

approximately $28, $52, and $100 Million, respectively. Appendix C provides the basis for this estimate.

6.2.4 JCEC Sewershed – Alternatives Cost Summary Table 6-2 provides a summary of the JCEC Sewershed Alternatives in 2015 dollars. As noted in Section

6.2, there is adequate wastewater treatment capacity at JCEC through the planning horizon; however, if

additional capacity were needed, the options and associated costs to meet those needs are provided below.

Appendix C provides the basis for the cost estimates.

Table 6-2: JCEC Sewershed Alternatives Cost Summary – 2015 Dollars



Estimated O&M Costs

(over 20 years)

Total Project Cost (Capital +

O&M)

Upgrade JCEC to 20 MGD 5 MGD $3.2M $3.3M $6.5

Purchase Cauley Creek WRF 5 MGD $15M + upgrades $12.9M $27.9M + upgrades

Cauley Creek WRF Private Operator 5 MGD None None $100M

6.3 Little River / Etowah Sewershed Strategy - Expansion to 2.6 MGD The basin is projected to receive flows of 1.2 MGD in 2015.

Little River WRF, located in Cherokee County, is currently

permitted to treat up to 1.0 MGD with approximately 0.2

MGD of treated effluent pumped from the effluent discharge

to the Settindown Golf Course, also in Cherokee County. By

2035, Little River WRF is projected to receive flows in the

Little River WRF



1.4 MGD range. At that time, the basin would experience a deficit in available capacity of 0.2 MGD

described in the projection tables.

The sewershed where Little River WRF is located primarily serves the City of Mountain Park and a

portion of the City of Roswell. Currently, there is significant economic development interest in the SR

140 / Arnold Mill Road corridor located in the City of Milton that would require collection system

expansion to provide service to that area.

For the long term, DWR plans to expand Little River WRF’s treatment capacity by 1.6 MGD beginning

in 2017 with completion by 2020. The estimated construction cost of the plant expansion is $25 Million

based on the treatment technology described in the approved Design Development Report. This

expansion in capacity will address the long-term basin needs through year 2035 and beyond. The present

value of the construction plus the long term O&M for the facility is estimated at $27 Million for the 20-

year build out.

If that expansion is not undertaken during the period between 2015 and 2017, DWR can manage the

capacity at Little River WRF by purchasing up to 0.5 MGD of capacity at Cherokee County’s Rose Creek

WRF. DWR has continued ongoing discussions with Cherokee County on this matter although costing

has not been documented at this time. This would increase available treatment capacity up to 1.5 MGD

by 2035 to serve the 20-year projection of 1.4 MGD of need in the sewershed. Appendix C provides the

basis for the cost estimates.

Table 6-3: JCEC Sewershed Alternatives Cost Summary – 2015 Dollars



Estimated O&M Costs

(over 20 years)

Total Project Cost (Capital +

O&M)

Purchase 0.5 MGD capacity at Rose Creek WRF 0.5

To Be Determined TBD TBD

Expand Little River WRF to 2.6 MGD 1.6 $25.2M $1.8M $27

North Fulton Wastewater Capacity Analysis Recommendations


7.0 RECOMMENDATIONS

Based on the needs assessment and evaluation of strategies, the following plan of action is recommended

for DWR with points grouped by sewershed or relevant topic.

7.1 Big Creek Sewershed Recommendations Under current conditions, Big Creek WRF periodically experiences flows nearing the permitted

maximum month average day limit of 24 MGD. These occurrences generally fall within wet months.

With Big Creek WRF having maximum month average day flows reaching near permitted capacity, this

sewershed has an urgent need for additional treatment capacity. This need becomes crucial during the

next 5 years as we approach 2020 as projected flows reach 25.8 MGD-MMAD. To meet the projected

needs during the planning period, including the projected flow of 32.2 MGD-MMAD by 2035, it is

recommended that DWR undertake the following:

o Short-term Strategy: Through 2020, wastewater flows to Big Creek WRF can be managed

through continued flow diversion to Cobb County’s R.L. Sutton WRF where Fulton County

owns 15.48 MGD of treatment capacity. Fulton County plans to continue coordination with

CCWS on any collection system modifications necessary to utilize capacity owned at the

plant.

o Long-term Strategy: The least cost option is to fully utilize the capacity Fulton DWR owns in

the R.L. Sutton WRF. Coordination with CCWS on any collection system modifications to

transfer flow to the Sutton WRF. Alternatively, construction of some or all of the planned

additional 14 MGD capacity at Big Creek WRF should be undertaken. We use the term

“alternatively” based on the amount of capacity Fulton County owns at the CCWS facility,

which if fully utilized would allow the deferment of the Big Creek upgrade through the

planning period of 2035. To accomplish the expansion of Big Creek WRF by 2020, one

would assume some form of accelerated alternative procurement might be in order, similar in

nature to the JCEC procurement process.

7.2 Johns Creek Sewershed JCEC has sufficient treatment capacity through 2035 and beyond based on the sewershed’s projected

wastewater flows. We recommend that DWR set a planning level “trigger” benchmark based on

maximum month average daily flow for the JCEC facility (and all facilities) to establish when planning

for capacity expansions should begin.

North Fulton Wastewater Capacity Analysis Recommendations


At the point in time defined by the proposed benchmark and growth in the sewershed dictates, DWR

should upgrade the JCEC by 5 MGD, taking advantage of the pre-planned, modular upgrade attributes

found in JCEC’s membrane system design. In 2015 dollars, the estimated construction cost plus

additional allocated O&M cost has a present value of approximately $6.5 Million under a 20-year life

cycle analysis. This is the least cost option for capacity expansion in the entire North Fulton area and is

recommended for the JCEC sewershed when additional capacity is required.

7.3 Little River Sewershed The Little River WRF is currently operating at capacity. With continued development pressure for sewer

service, it is recommended that DWR proceed with expanding the Little River WRF. The ability to

obtain a permit from EPD for the expansion will soon be cleared by coming into compliance with the

District’s irrigation rate requirements, as described in Section 2.0.

7.4 Reuse Water Recommendations North Fulton County’s reuse system provided a way to allow growth to continue in early 2000s when a

river discharge was not an option. The regulatory climate has changed; discharge to rivers is now

encouraged. Another driver for reuse water was that it was allowed for use during drought conditions.

Per EPD regulations, reuse water is no longer allowed for irrigation during drought conditions. Reuse can

still be considered a tool in overall water management; however, a business case evaluation is

recommended for any and all reuse proposals to assess whether a reuse water system is a viable and cost

effective service for Fulton County.

APPENDIX A - OUTREACH TO CITIES IN NORTH FULTON

City Technical Lead: Population

Projections Mayor City Manager/

Administrator Notes

Alpharetta Economic Development Director Peter Tokar Phone: 678-297-6075 Fax: 678-802-3293 E-mail: [email protected]

David Belle Isle Phone: (678) 297-6020 (office) E-mail: [email protected]

Robert J. Regus City Administrator Phone: (678) 297-6010 Fax: (678) 802-3293 E-mail: [email protected]

Left vm for Samir Adwahee in Economic Development office – spoke with admin in planning and zoning was told that projections are handled by Economic Development office.

Roswell Alice Wakefield Director of Community Development [email protected] Ph: 770-641-3780 Fx: 770-641-3741

Jere Wood [email protected] Robyn Kenner Executive Assistant to Mayor Ph: 770-594-6288

Kay G. Love City Administrator mailto:[email protected] ph: 770-641-3727

Johns Creek

Sharon Ebert, Director of Community Development [email protected] Thomas Black Director of Public Works [email protected]

Mike Bodker [email protected] Karen Negri, Exec. Assistant: 678-512-3327

Warren Hutmacher City Manager [email protected] Karen Negri, Exec. Assistant: 678-512-3327

Talked with Tom Black to get information for Sharon – he said she’s the one to send to, but is also interested in the projections.

Mountain Park

Jim Stills [email protected]

Karen Segars [email protected]

City hall: 770-993-4231

Milton Kathleen Field Director of Community Development [email protected] 678-242-2555

Joe Lockwood [email protected] 678.242.2484

Chris Lagerbloom City Manager [email protected] 678-242-2488

mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]

3650 Mansell Road \ Suite 300 \ Alpharetta, GA 30022 O 770-587-4776 \ F 770-587-4772 \ burnsmcd.com

June 22, 2015 Mr. Peter Tokar Economic Development Director City of Alpharetta 2 Park Plaza Alpharetta, GA 30009 Re: Population Forecasts for Fulton County Department of Water Resources Dear Mr. Tokar: On behalf of the County, we are evaluating long term wastewater treatment capacity needs in North Fulton. As part of the study, we would like to obtain your most up-to-date population projections through year 2035. We understand the City provided population projections to Fulton County Water Resources Department in May 2014. These projections are provided below for your reference. Please review the projections and let us know if revisions are in order based on your latest planning data.

City 2012

Population Estimate

Population Projections

2015 2020 2025 2030 2035

Alpharetta 61,981 60,319 62,904 65,560 68,218 70,858

Johns Creek 82,306 81,050 85,372 89,727 94,304 99,114

Milton 35,015 34,232 40,770 47,308 53,847 60,385

Mountain Park 576 573 606 638 665 703

Roswell 93,692 90,633 92,442 99,774 103,488 107,338 Sources: 2012 Estimate obtained from State of Georgia’s Office of Planning and Budget.

Also, we would appreciate an opportunity to visit with you to discuss the City’s vision for growth. During the next two weeks, we would like to find a convenient time when you could meet with us for this discussion. We will follow up with a call to set this date. In the meantime, please call me if you have questions on this matter. Sincerely, Wayne Haynie, P.E. Project Manager

whayniePencil

whayniePencil

City of Alpharetta June 22, 2015 Page 2 cc: Hon. David Belle Isle, Mayor

Mr. Robert J. Regus, City Administrator


June 22, 2015 Ms. Alice Wakefield Director of Community Development City of Roswell 38 Hill Street, Suite G-30 Roswell, GA 30075 Re: Population Forecasts for Fulton County Department of Water Resources Dear Ms. Wakefield: On behalf of the County, we are evaluating long term wastewater treatment capacity needs in North Fulton. As part of the study, we would like to obtain your most up-to-date population projections through year 2035. We understand the City provided population projections to Fulton County Water Resources Department in May 2014. These projections are provided below for your reference. Please review the projections and let us know if revisions are in order based on your latest planning data.

City 2012

Population Estimate


2015 2020 2025 2030 2035

Alpharetta 61,981 60,319 62,904 65,560 68,218 70,858

Johns Creek 82,306 81,050 85,372 89,727 94,304 99,114

Milton 35,015 34,232 40,770 47,308 53,847 60,385

Mountain Park 576 573 606 638 665 703



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City of Roswell June 22, 2015 Page 2 cc: Hon. Jere Wood, Mayor

Ms. Kay G. Love, City Administrator


June 22, 2015 Ms. Sharon Ebert, Director of Community Development City of Johns Creek 12000 Findley Road, Suite 400 Johns Creek, GA 30097 Re: Population Forecasts for Fulton County Department of Water Resources Dear Ms. Ebert: On behalf of the County, we are evaluating long term wastewater treatment capacity needs in North Fulton. As part of the study, we would like to obtain your most up-to-date population projections through year 2035. We understand the City provided population projections to Fulton County Water Resources Department in May 2014. These projections are provided below for your reference. Please review the projections and let us know if revisions are in order based on your latest planning data.

City 2012

Population Estimate


2015 2020 2025 2030 2035

Alpharetta 61,981 60,319 62,904 65,560 68,218 70,858

Johns Creek 82,306 81,050 85,372 89,727 94,304 99,114

Milton 35,015 34,232 40,770 47,308 53,847 60,385

Mountain Park 576 573 606 638 665 703


Also, we would appreciate an opportunity to visit with you to discuss the City’s vision for growth. During the next two weeks, we would like to find a convenient time when you could meet with us for this discussion. We will follow up with a call to set this date. In the meantime, please call me if you want to discuss. Sincerely, Wayne Haynie, P.E. Project Manager

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City of Johns Creek June 22, 2015 Page 2 cc: Hon. Mike Bodker, Mayor

Mr. Warren Hutmacher, City Manager Mr. Thomas Black, Director of Public Works


June 22, 2015 Ms. Kathleen Field Director of Community Development City of Milton 13000 Deerfield Parkway, Suite 107 Milton, GA 30004 Re: Population Forecasts for Fulton County Department of Water Resources Dear Ms. Field: On behalf of the County, we are evaluating long term wastewater treatment capacity needs in North Fulton. As part of the study, we would like to obtain your most up-to-date population projections through year 2035. We understand the City provided population projections to Fulton County Water Resources Department in May 2014. These projections are provided below for your reference. Please review the projections and let us know if revisions are in order based on your latest planning data.

City 2012

Population Estimate


2015 2020 2025 2030 2035

Alpharetta 61,981 60,319 62,904 65,560 68,218 70,858

Johns Creek 82,306 81,050 85,372 89,727 94,304 99,114

Milton 35,015 34,232 40,770 47,308 53,847 60,385

Mountain Park 576 573 606 638 665 703



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City of Milton June 22, 2015 Page 2 cc: Hon. Joe Lockwood, Mayor

Mr. Chris Lagerbloom, City Manager


June 22, 2015 Hon. Jim Stills, Mayor City of Mountain Park 118 Lakeshore Drive Roswell, GA 30075 Re: Population Forecasts for Fulton County Department of Water Resources Dear Mayor Stills: On behalf of the County, we are evaluating long term wastewater treatment capacity needs in North Fulton. As part of the study, we would like to obtain your most up-to-date population projections through year 2035. We understand the City provided population projections to Fulton County Water Resources Department in May 2014. These projections are provided below for your reference. Please review the projections and let us know if revisions are in order based on your latest planning data.

City 2012

Population Estimate


2015 2020 2025 2030 2035

Alpharetta 61,981 60,319 62,904 65,560 68,218 70,858

Johns Creek 82,306 81,050 85,372 89,727 94,304 99,114

Milton 35,015 34,232 40,770 47,308 53,847 60,385

Mountain Park 576 573 606 638 665 703


Also, we would appreciate an opportunity to visit with you to discuss the City’s vision for growth. During the next two weeks, we would like to find a convenient time when you could meet with us for this discussion. We will follow up with a call to set this date. Please call me if you have questions on this matter. Sincerely, Wayne Haynie, P.E. Project Manager cc: Ms. Karen Segars, City Clerk / Administrator

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APPENDIX B – FOLLOW UP MEETINGS WITH CITIES

City of Alpharetta Response Information

Meeting Notes

Meeting Subject: Population Forecasts Meeting Date: July 13, 2015 Start Time: 2:30 PM End Time: 3:30 PM Location: City of Alpharetta, City Hall Project Name: North Fulton Wastewater Capacity Analysis Project No.: 84426 (BMcD) Attendees Organization Title Samir Abdullahi City of Alpharetta Economic Development

Manager Eric Graves City of Alpharetta Senior Engineer –

Development Services Paula Feldman Eric Nease

E-H E-H

Sr. Water Resources Sr. Water Resources

Wayne Haynie* (not present) BMcD Project Manager * Meeting organizer Notes Prepared By: Eric Nease Date Notes Issued: July 15, 2015 Meeting Notes: The following items were discussed, and commented on during our visit with Samir Abdullahi and Eric Graves at City Hall on July 13, 2015. The purpose of the meeting was to review the population forecasts the City provided to the BMcD team on June 19, 2015. In preparation for finalizing our population forecasts, we wanted to reach out to each City in North Fulton and gain context and observations from the principal planners on what development patterns are occurring and other growth factors behind the population forecasts they provided.

1. Alpharetta is an economic hub in North Fulton, with 20 million square feet of office space,

nearly equal to Buckhead’s 22 million. Plus four exits along Georgia 400, plus McFarland Parkway just outside with City Limits in Forsyth County. Hence they are using the phrase “A Technology & Employment Hub”

2. Alpharetta has commercial and retail to support their residential population plus neighboring communities such as Johns Creek, Milton & South Forsyth.

3. Therefore, Alpharetta is particular in keeping commercial development on the few remaining parcels, and allow mixed use zoning on these.

4. Current key developments are Avalon and City Center, both include mixed use. Trying to embrace an ‘after 5’ motto with restaurants and shopping to attract people after business hours.

ROSS+associates urban planning & plan implementation

ROSS+associates 211 Colonial Homes Drive, NW Suite 2307 Atlanta, GA 30309 web: planross.com tel: 404-626-7690

Memorandum

TO: Kathi Cook cc: Shawn Mitchell FROM: Bill Ross DATE: May 19, 2014 RE: Alpharetta Population Forecasts

The purpose of this memo is to confirm, modify or replace the population forecasts contained in the Alpharetta Comprehensive Plan 2030 for use in establishing Level of Service calculations for the City’s impact fee program update. The population forecasts will subsequently influence the housing unit and employment forecasts used in the Update.

To accomplish this, a variety of projection approaches were prepared for comparison to the Com-prehensive Plan figures. Data from both the US Bureau of the Census and the Atlanta Regional Commission were considered, as well as countywide forecasts prepared by Woods & Poole Econo-mists, Inc.

The various approaches presented in the attached analysis are:

• 2000–2012 Census population data projected to 2040 on a “straight line” basis for each city in North Fulton County.

• 2000–2012 Census population data projected to 2040 for each North Fulton city assuming that the ARC Plan 2040 North Fulton projections are incorrect by the same increment as “straight line” determined for 2016.

• 2000–2012 Census population data projected to 2040 on a “curved line” basis for each city in North Fulton County as a “growth trend” regression.

• 2000–2012 Census population data projected to 2040 assuming that the ARC Plan 2040 North Fulton projections are incorrect by the same increment as determined for 2016 using the growth trend figure.

• The percentage share of countywide population projected for each city taken against the ARC Plan 2040 forecasts and those of Woods & Poole Economists, Inc.

Conclusion

The Comprehensive Plan forecasts, adjusted to the latest Census Bureau estimates for 2010-2012 and extended to 2040, compare well within the ranges of several of the more credible alternate approaches. We conclude that the Comprehensive Plan forecasts continue to provide the basis for the City’s outlook to the future, as refined in the analysis attached to this memo and shown on Ta-ble 9.

Memo to: Kathi Cook, May 19, 2014 Subject: Alpharetta Population Forecasts, page 2

ROSS+associates 211 Colonial Homes Drive, NW Suite 2307 Atlanta, GA 30309 web: planross.com tel: 404-626-7690

Recommendations

Either of the modified Comprehensive Plan population forecasts shown on the following chart is recommended for use in the Impact Fee Program Update. The choice of which one to adopt boils down to this:

• If maintaining the greatest consistency with the Comprehensive Plan is paramount, the “Comprehensive Plan 2015-2030 Maintained” projections should be adopted.

• If recognizing the recent post-recession “uptick” in population increase is important, the “Comprehensive Plan Modified to 2010-2012 Actual” should be adopted.

Lastly, the span of the population forecasts should be considered. The attached analysis provides projections to 2040. However, if preferred, a 20-year time span would be appropriate, taking the forecasts out to 2035 instead.

Considering the alternative of maintaining consistency with the Comprehensive Plan, the total pop-ulation increase from 2012 to 2035 is 19,451, and there is no difference between the “red line” forecast

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