Atlanta advances over $34 million for water program management and system upgrades

Atlanta advances over $34 million for water program management and system upgradesThe city council approved an $8 million budget transfer and introduced a $21 million contract amendment to oversee the execution of the utility's capital improvement plans, alongside new funding for meter installations and pump station rehabilitation.

The council adopted an $8 million budget amendment transferring funds from Watershed Reserves to the Program Management Services Team project.

An ordinance was introduced to add $21 million to a program management contract with Stantec SG Joint Venture.

A $1.5 million amendment was approved for the Rockdale Pipeline and Integral Municipal Services joint venture for distribution system upgrades at the Hemphill Pump Station.

Special procurement agreements totaling $4 million were introduced for small meter installation services.

The Atlanta City Council has moved to significantly bolster the Department of Watershed Management's (DWM) ability to execute its capital improvement programs, advancing a series of funding measures and contract amendments during its March 2, 2026, meeting. Through its consent agenda, the council adopted an $8 million budget amendment (26-O-1102) transferring funds from the city's Watershed Reserves to the Program Management Services Team (PMST) project. According to meeting documents, the PMST will oversee the execution of DWM's One Water Strategies and Capital Improvement Plans, with a specific focus on managing critical water and wastewater infrastructure upgrades. In a related move, Council Member Alex Wan introduced an ordinance to execute a first amendment with Stantec SG Joint Venture for program management services. The amendment would add up to $21 million to the agreement and ratify certain services performed after the exhaustion of the original funding authorization. The joint venture already has an extensive track record with the city, having received over $93 million across nearly 100 transactions for its oversight of large-scale water and wastewater infrastructure programs. The measure was referred to the City Utilities Committee for review. The council also approved a $1.5 million contract amendment (26-O-1155) with the joint venture of Rockdale Pipeline, Inc. and Integral Municipal Services Corporation. The funds will support ongoing water distribution system rehabilitation and improvement upgrades at the Hemphill Pump Station. Additionally, Wan introduced legislation to authorize $4 million in special procurement agreements for small meter installation services. The contracts, awarded to KM Davis Contracting Company and Titan Unlimited LLC, will run retroactively from January 15, 2026, through January 14, 2027, and were referred to the Finance/Executive Committee.