PDM

Corporation has been chosen to build Fayette

County's new water tank on Ga. Highway 92 at

Lee's Mill Road for $1.7 million.

Construction

can begin as soon as contracts are signed, and

will take about a year, according to county water

director Tony Parrott.

County

commissioners recently decided to build the

2.5-million-gallon tank next to an old

500,000-gallon tank. The old tank will be removed

once the new one is in place and working

properly.

Plans

for the tank ignited a fire storm of controversy

in 1998. David Williams, whose house is next to

the current water tank, argued that the land

involved in plans for a planned

two-million-gallon tank next to it belonged to

him, not the county. About 200 neighbors joined

Williams in protesting the idea of two tanks at

one location, saying it would give the area the

appearance of an industrial park.

The

courts settled the land ownership question in

favor of the county, but commissioners put the

tank on a back burner and studied alternative

locations in the face of still-fierce

neighborhood opposition.

Following

a study, engineering consultants advised the

county that the Lee's Mill location is the best

one to fill the county's needs for water pressure

to serve the growing northern part of the county.

Commissioners

decided to build a larger tank so the old one can

be removed.

Water

officials say the tank is needed to provide

enough water pressure and to store treated water

to serve the area, and to serve needs in the city

of Fayetteville in case the city's supply falls

short of demand.

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