CITY OF ATLANTA COMBINED AND SEPARATE SEWER OVERFLOW CONTROL PROGRAM MEETS THE CHALLENGE OF THE 21ST CENTURY

This paper presents an overview of Atlanta's Wastewater Systems Improvement Program. Atlanta is a premier city in the Southeast U.S. with a quality of life second to none. It is no surprise that Atlanta is growing rapidly and must improve its wastewater system to maintain a high level of service to sustain its people and economy.There are three specific regulatory requirements driving this program: Senate Bill 500 enforcing phosphorus level compliance at Water Reclamation Centers (WRCs) and Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) control facilities by December 2000; CSO Consent Degree requiring completion of the long-term plan by 2007; and a second Consent Decree requiring WRCs, pumping stations and sewer improvements by 2014.The City has met the SB 500 requirements by spending over 600 million for its four WRCs, pumping stations, and sewer improvement projects to-date. The City's preferred option for CSO plan includes consolidated storage/conveyance tunnels, two CSO treatment facilities, and sewer separation in selected areas costing about 1 billion. The City plans to complete the construction of the CSO program by 2007.The total capital cost of the program is estimated between 2.5 and 3 billion and will take 14 years to complete. The issue of its affordability and impact on its ratepayers is a challenge that the City would like to minimize by innovative cost reduction methods and availability of low interest loans and grant funds.