DeKalb County clears $21M for consent decree sewer fixes, defers $233M water treatment plant overhaul
Dekalb County Department of Watershed Management, Georgia · Meeting date: July 14, 2026 · Published: July 15, 2026
The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners greenlit a major change order to address priority infrastructure fixes under its consent decree, while postponing a massive design-build award for water treatment plant upgrades until late August.
Key points
- Commissioners approved a $21 million change order with Ruby-Collins, Inc. for on-call water and sewer installation and repair.
- Director Wells noted the funds will address recent emergency pipe issues and time-sensitive priority items on the county's consent decree fix list.
- A $233.8 million design-build contract for the Scott Candler Water Treatment Plant demolition and new pump station was deferred to August 25.
- The Board approved $2.9 million for water storage tank rehabilitation and $654,000 for construction management at the Snapfinger Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Full report
The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners advanced several major water and wastewater infrastructure contracts on July 14, prioritizing emergency pipe repairs and consent decree compliance while delaying action on a massive water treatment plant overhaul.
During the meeting, the board unanimously approved a $21 million change order with Ruby-Collins, Inc. for on-call water and sewer installation and repair services. The funding is specifically targeted at upgrading the county's water and sewer system, with special attention dedicated to systemic trouble areas.
Director Wells of the Department of Watershed Management (DWM) explained to the board that the funds are necessary to address vulnerabilities discovered during recent infrastructure failures. "We've had a few emergencies, and during the course of responding to those, we noticed additional areas that needed to be addressed to prevent additional emergencies," Wells stated. He added that the allocation will also fund time-sensitive "priority fix list" items mandated by the county's ongoing consent decree.
While the board cleared the emergency repair funding, commissioners opted to defer a monumental $233.8 million design-build contract for the Scott Candler Water Treatment Plant. Also slated to be awarded to Ruby-Collins, Inc., the delayed project encompasses the demolition of the existing facility alongside the design, construction, and commissioning of new clearwells and a high service pump station. The board voted to defer the item to its August 25 meeting.
Several other high-value water contracts were also deferred to late August, including an $18.1 million change order for on-call water and sewer services with GS Construction, Inc., a $5 million contract with TESCO Controls, Inc. for SCADA software systems management, and a $2.29 million change order to Arcadis US, Inc. for stormwater master planning services.
The board did successfully approve several other targeted infrastructure investments during the session. Commissioners signed off on a $2.9 million change order with Lichty Commercial Construction, Inc. to repair and repaint three additional water storage tanks. Additionally, a $654,042 contract extension was granted to Tetra Tech, Inc. for ongoing construction management services related to Phase II of the Snapfinger Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant expansion.
This summary was generated by AI based on the source document and may contain errors.
Source: Board of Commissioners, Dekalb County Department of Watershed Management