The Douglasville-Douglas County Water and Sewer Authority (WSA)is taking a historic step forward in water security as they are set to break ground next month on a significant expansion of the Dog River Reservoir, a project aimed at securing the county’s long-term water supply.
“This is a landmark occasion for our Douglasville and Douglas County community,” said Executive Director Gil Shearouse. “We have spent over a decade planning, permitting, financially preparing, and designing this project that is critical to our community.”
The expansion— the largest public infrastructure project in Douglas County— will raise the reservoir’s water level by 35 feet and increase its storage capacity from 1.9 billion to 6.5 billion gallons. Expanding the reservoir will provide a more robust buffer against increasing and frequent droughts and support the county’s growing water supply demand. The project will cost around $400 million and meet future demand, ensuring water reliability for residents and businesses.
“Georgia’s drought of 2007 was a scary time for a lot of communities, some of whom came close to running out of water altogether,” said WSA Deputy Director of Engineering Brian Keel. “This project will protect our residents and businesses from such future droughts by ensuring our abundant water supply for the next 50 years.”
Construction is expected to begin in early May. The project includes building a new intake structure, raising the Highway 166 bridge, building a new labyrinth weir spillway, constructing earthen dams, and relocating the Dog River Recreational Complex. Various aspects of the project will be worked on concurrently, and it is expected to be under construction for about four years.
“Following construction, it will take approximately 9 months to fill the new reservoir, as federal authorities over reservoir projects limit the rate at which you can fill them, and it is weather dependent. This means we should have a completed, filled reservoir by the end of 2029,” said Keel.
The Dog River Reservoir serves as the county’s primary drinking water source. Initially built in the early 1990s, the reservoir had a storage capacity of 1.2 billion gallons, which provided a reliable supply of 16 million gallons per day (MGD). In the mid-2000s, the reservoir was expanded to a storage capacity of 1.9 billion gallons, which provided a supply of 23 MGD. Due primarily to changing environmental conditions, this expansion to 6.5 billion gallons is needed to preserve the 23 MGD reliable supply. The reservoir expansion marks a significant investment in Douglas County’s infrastructure and underscores WSA’s proactive water resource management and commitment to “award-winning service” to the community.
