DeKalb County approves $50M in wastewater capital outlays, advances stormwater fee hike

DeKalb County approves $50M in wastewater capital outlays, advances stormwater fee hikeThe Georgia county is pushing forward with critical capacity expansions at its Snapfinger treatment plant and settling capital obligations with the City of Atlanta to mitigate wet weather overflows.

Arcadis U.S. secured a $20.5 million construction management contract for Phase 3 of the Snapfinger Advanced Wastewater Treatment Facility expansion.

The county authorized a $29.8 million capital payment to the City of Atlanta for shared treatment capacity, primarily at the RM Clayton plant.

Commissioners approved a long-term stormwater utility fee increase through 2035 to fund proactive infrastructure repairs and establish a dedicated green infrastructure account.

A contract with Teledyne ISCO for sanitary sewer flow monitoring was extended through 2026 to support ongoing consent decree compliance.

DeKalb County, Georgia, has authorized major capital expenditures to address inflow and infiltration (I&I) challenges and federal consent decree mandates, approving over $50 million in wastewater items during its July 7 meeting. The Board of Commissioners awarded a $20.5 million multi-year construction management contract to Arcadis U.S., Inc. for Phase 3 (3A, 3C, and 3D) of the Snapfinger Advanced Wastewater Treatment Facility expansion. Watershed Management Director Wells noted the Snapfinger plant currently faces hydraulic constraints during wet weather events. The existing headworks and pumping stations lack the capacity to process elevated flows, leading to upstream spills. The Phase 3 expansion will increase capacity to mitigate these overflows. Arcadis will provide professional engineering oversight to ensure the construction meets all specifications. Commissioner Patrick highlighted that the project is a critical component in addressing the county's 14 priority spill areas and broader I&I issues under its consent decree. In a related move, the board approved a $29.8 million Capital Improvement Program (CIP) payment to the City of Atlanta. The payment reconciles outstanding invoices through the first quarter of 2026 for DeKalb's share of capital costs at Atlanta's treatment facilities. The vast majority of the funds are directed toward the RM Clayton Water Reclamation Center, which treats a significant portion of DeKalb's wastewater under a long-standing intergovernmental agreement. The board also advanced a contract change order with Teledyne ISCO for sanitary sewer flow monitoring equipment and software. Originally slated for a $3 million increase, the substitute item ultimately required only a term extension through December 2026 to maintain equipment related to consent decree requirements. Further bolstering its infrastructure funding, the commission approved a substitute resolution enacting a long-term stormwater utility fee increase extending through 2035. The revised fee structure aims to shift the county from reactive maintenance to proactive implementation of its stormwater master plan, addressing life-safety issues such as dam repairs. The stormwater measure also establishes a dedicated green infrastructure sub-fund within the broader stormwater account.