The Peachtree City Water and

Sewer Authority adopted its $3.3 million budget at its regular meeting

Monday night.

The budget includes $700,000 earmarked for new capital improvement projects,

and $1.75 million is budgeted for capital improvements that haven't been

made yet.

The most expensive new

project is the replacement of the Wynnmeade area trunk sewer, tabbed at

over $400,000.

The budget also includes $60,000 for a chemical-based program to battle

tree roots that typically invade older sewer lines. WASA also plans to

expand its water quality monitoring program to test water coming into

Peachtree City and the water that leaves Peachtree City.

WASA also heard from a local resident complaining

of constant odor problems coming from a pump station near The Enclave

subdivision. Bob Wangele said the problems have been going on for several

years, and although WASA staff has attempted to fix the problem, it still

persists.

Wangele complained that visitors to his home often remark how it smells

like a sewer outside.

WASA general manager Larry Turner said

the authority recently got new odor-detecting equipment that could be

used to determine exactly where the odor is coming from. And several WASA

members pledged that they would work on the problem and get it fixed.

"You don't have to convince us you have a problem," said WASA

member Ted Taylor.

Turner said odor control at pump stations can be difficult to get a handle

on. But WASA has used

chemicals to try and stifle the stench along with other tactics to improve

the situation, Turner noted.

"We need to ascertain where it's coming from," Taylor said.

The authority also turned down a request to lower a sewer bill from a

local resident who claimed he used over 200,000 gallons of water to water

his lawn. Sewer bills are based on the amount of water used.