Coweta County's

Commission will decide Tuesday whether it should pay its dues to a new

regional water commission sponsored by Gov. Roy Barnes.

The board will

discuss when it should pay $71,372 to the Metropolitan North Georgia Water

District Committee.

Harold Reheis,

director of the state Environmental Protection Division, appeared before

the commission two weeks ago and said the committee's charge is to help

regionalize water utilities in 16 counties around Atlanta.

regional approach to water resources, Reheis said local governments will

actually save millions of dollars.

"We'll

have fewer, bigger facilities, instead of a lot more smaller facilities,"

he said.

Commissioner

Vernon "Mutt" Hunter said the county has already committed $37

million to future water supplies and is dealing with governments from

Atlanta to Griffin to meet Coweta's rapidly growing water needs.

Commission

Chairman Robert Wood, who is the county's delegate on the water committee,

said he was initially skeptical.

But Wood now

believes the committee is a worthwhile investment and said the commission

should go ahead and pay its part of the budget.

The commissioners

will also discuss a proposal by Commissioner Leigh Schlumper for better

landscaping on Ga. Hwy 34.

The commission

meets at 9 a.m. at the County Administrative Complex in Newnan.