Faced with

opposition from the Water and Sewerage Authority, the Peachtree City Council

has declined a request to fund an independent review of tests on Line

Creek to determine the quality of its water.

Since its overture

was rebuffed, the Line Creek Association might seek help from federal

regulatory agencies to make sure Line Creek isn't suffering from problems.

"If we

as citizens don't question those issues, then who does?" environmentalist

and Line Creek Association representative Dennis Chase said at last week's

council meeting.

"Intentionally

avoiding these issues, as suggested in Mr. [WASA board chairman John]

Gronner's letter, does not serve the needs of Fayette County citizens."

Fayette's citizens

and governments have challenged governmental directives from other state

agencies, Chase said, including the Atlanta Regional Commission.

Gronner, in

a letter to council, said an independent review would "challenge"

the state Environmental Protection Division, which regulates WASA. But

Chase said it would be risky not to make absolutely sure that Line Creek's

water is OK.

City Attorney

Rick Lindsey told council it shouldn't get involved in WASA matters.

LCA had requested

the city pay for an independent expert likely a university professor from

out of state to examine documents compiled in the recent watershed assessment

and other studies on Line Creek from the past several years.

Chase said

the group wants to make sure the water quality isn't rapidly declining,

especially since WASA plans to discharge another 600,000 gallons into

the creek once it expands its sewage treatment capacity.

Chase argued

that the state Environmental Protection Division does not "provide

the level of protection we know is necessary for our watershed and the

level of protection Peachtree City provides in other environmental considerations.

... It is the Line Creek Association's position and belief that we have

the right to expect every protection available."

WASA General

Manager Larry Turner said the time to oppose that planned expansion is

during the public hearings that will be held for the permit application.

"That

is the time for the public to voice their concerns, not a council meeting,"

Turner said.

Mayor Bob Lenox

said he agreed it wasn't appropriate for the city to fund the study. He

added that a study of how contaminants get into the city's water system

is he subject of a grant that might be approved by the Environmental Protection

Administration.

"To me

it is our best hope of finding the scope of the problem," Lenox said.

But Chase said

that study likely won't have results before the sewer system expands.

Turner said

tests will be conducted at sampling points on Line Creek once every three

months for the next three years, "to determine what is happening

to Line Creek and Flat Creek."

The EPD has

plenty of rules and regulations and makes sure WASA sticks to them Turner

said.

"When

they tell me to jump, I jump," Turner said.

In his legal

opinion issued to council, City Attorney Rick Lindsey said council shouldn't

intervene on matters that are specifically handled by WASA.

"The Water

and Sewer Authority is a separate legal entity charged with operating

the sewer system, and consequently, complying with all applicable laws,"

Lindsey wrote. "The city may have the legal right to request an independent

analysis of the watershed assessment, but in so doing, the city may erode

the working relationship between the authority and itself."

Lindsey also

said in the letter that the city has no scientific basis or data to use

in challenging the EPD's regulations and guidelines.

The sewer system

expansion, tabbed at over $8 million, includes a new plant. That will

also allow the city to shut down its Flat Creek plant, which was originally

designed to serve as a temporary facility.

For those reasons,

a new sewer plant will be built no matter what because it is desperately

needed, Lenox added.