The contract

between Coweta County and Atlanta also calls for up to 15 million gallons

of drinking water per day within five years based on improvements to the

Atlanta Water System.

"It is

a milestone day for the water department," commented Water Department

head Harry Hughes in the press release. "The next milestone will

be when the water lines are connected."

The water being

purchased from the city of Atlanta will be priced at approximately 90

cents per thousand gallons under an agreed rebate program, which is designed

to offer reduced water rates to Coweta County as a means to repay the

county for the cost of needed water lines outside the county's borders.

After the rebate,

the water price is set to be $1.25 per thousand gallons. Newnan Utilities,

currently the sole provider of water to the county system, charges $1.45

per thousand gallons.

"Coweta

County has acted quickly to provide a supplemental supplier of water to

serve our residents," Coweta County Commission Chairman Robert Wood

said in the press release. "We were given a deadline to provide supplemental

water and we have met that deadline, assuring a more adequate water supply

for everyone."

Coweta County's

water system currently uses an average of five million gallons of water

per day and peaked at approximately nine million gallons during 2000.

To continue

the project on a "fast track," the commissioners approved contractors

Tuesday night to begin installation of needed water lines.

There will

be two connections to the Atlanta system, one on the east side and one

on the west side of the county. Mid-South Builders of Lithonia was low

bidder on the west side connection at $1.8 million. Ronny D. Jones Enterprises

Inc. of Newnan was low bidder on the east side connection at $2.5 million.

The county

is working toward a completion date of May 1.

While the contract

with the city of Atlanta provides an immediate boost to the county's available

water supply, it is by no means the only avenue being worked on by the

Board of Commissioners to provide additional water for the county's system,

according to the county news release.

Also in hand

is a contract with the city of Griffin to provide up to 10 million gallons

of water per day incrementally beginning in 2004-2005, based on completion

of new treatment and storage facilities, the release states.

Work also is

progressing on a treatment facility at the B.T. Brown Reservoir in northwestern

Coweta County that will provide between six and eight million gallons

per day. Completion is scheduled for the end of 2003.