The Douglasville-Douglas County Water and Sewer Authority (WSA) officially broke ground on the Dog River Reservoir Expansion Project during a ceremony on Thursday morning at the Dog River Recreational Complex. The event marked the beginning of a major initiative designed to secure the community’s drinking water supply for the next 50 years.
“A safe, abundant water supply is the lifeblood of any civilization and a foundational element of any first-world society. Today, we begin building Douglas County’s future,” said WSA Deputy Director of Engineering Brian Keel.
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. The construction of the project will cost around $390 million, providing a more robust buffer against increasing droughts and ensuring water reliability for residents and businesses.
“In 2014, we completed a study that told us our reservoir isn’t big enough to support our community’s future growth in the face of the worst drought in our state’s history,” said Keel. “The extra volume will come from raising the water surface by 35 feet and expanding the surface area from 260 to 600 acres.”
The expansion project consists of constructing a new dam and spillway, a second saddle dam, a new intake pumping station, a new recreation complex, and a new Hwy 166 bridge. The project is expected to take about four years, with various aspects of construction being worked on concurrently. According to Keel, the labyrinth spillway being constructed will be only the second of its kind in the country.
“We’re honored to be working with the Authority to deliver this monumental project. We know it’s been a long time coming,” said Shane Lippert of Clark Reeves Young Joint Venture, who serves as the project’s construction manager at risk (CMAR). “We are excited to be working with them and the engineers to deliver this project safely, on time, within budget, and with the highest quality.”
The ceremony brought together a host of guests, community leaders, and partners, including members of the Douglasville City Council, the Douglas County Board of Commissioners, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, District 64 Congresswoman Kimberly New, and a host of engineering firms. As the ceremony concluded, WSA Board of Directors members fastened their hard hats. They gathered their shovels to toss dirt and officially mark the beginning of this significant expansion project in Douglas County.
