Senoia will

turn into a giant construction zone next week as construction finally

starts on the city's sewer system.

The $8.5 million

dollar system will take a year to build and will finally connect some

of the older homes to a sewer system.

City administrator

Murray McAfee said the system will also accommodate the city's growth.

"We've

currently got 900 housing units in the city. In the next five to seven

years, we expect to add an additional 1,200-1,300 homes," he said.

McAfee is meeting

with the construction crews, project managers and city workers on Monday

to finalize strategy for the construction. Residents will first see work

in the Martinwood subdivision. For the last few years, the city has been

spending more than $700 a week to pump out the subdivisions failed septic

system.

"After

that, we'll focus on the older areas of town and move towards the Willow

Dell subdivision," he said.

Money for the

project comes from a series of grants and loans from the state's Rural

Development agency, community development grants and developer contributions.

With the more

than 1,200 homes expected to be built in the next few years, McAfee said

the city will have no problem in paying off the loans.

McAfee said

it is possible that no home will be connected to the sewer until the entire

system is completed, but it's too early in the construction phase to provide

a definitive answer.

Senoia has

been discussing building a sewer system for more than 20 years, and McAfee

is glad the construction phase has finally arrived.

"It's

something we've been working on for a long time," he said.