This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Politics & Government

Water Department Seeks to Charge for Some Rainwater Use, NPU-B Told

City wants to install meters on collection systems

Green was the scene at Tuesday’s NPU-B meeting, from AJC Peachtree Road Race recycling measures to water department proposals to charge for some rainwater use. Being green sometimes is easy, and sometimes not.

The easy one is the Atlanta Track Club’s move this year to obtain Council for Responsible Sport certification by recycling materials collected at the finish of the July 4 road race, which this year will be increased to 60,000 runners. Ben Dostal, event operations manager at Atlanta Track Club, told the NPU members about the track club's recycling program.

Not so easy is the Department of Watershed Management’s proposal to require Atlantans to install irrigation and backflow meters for rainwater-collection systems, according to a city water spokesman who attended the meeting. 

Find out what's happening in Buckheadwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The city is proposing the requirements to come in line with state guidelines, but NPU-B chair Sally Silver quipped, “Why , even though state law was in place before now, did they just now get around to this? … Not until the city needs money, then a lot of fees get collected.” After the meeting, Silver said it will be difficult for some homeowners to recover the cost of expensive, water-saving systems.

City water officials say the meters are needed to control the cost of treating water that is collected, then used, then put into the water treatment system, rather than collected directly into the storm runoff system.

Find out what's happening in Buckheadwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Also at the meeting, Sanitation Department spokesman Roderick James detailed changes in the collection system that so that weekly trash, recycling and yard waste pickup will take place simultaneously, placing all of the city’s approximately 50 pieces of city equipment in single quadrants on designated days — starting Monday, Aug. 1, for the northeast quadrant. 

In his report, parks spokesman Alvin Dodson said that two southwest Atlanta pools, Adams and South Bend, remain unable to open indefinitely after vandals caused $70,000 in damage to the bathhouses stealing copper.

“The funds are not available to fix the pools,” he said. “Unfortunately, we’re still missing copper, and people are still taking air conditioners with regularity.”

According to WSB and WXIA news reports on June 3, the city said funds were available and the pools would open later this season.

Dodson reported Camp Best Friends was up and running for a 30th year. The program includes eight specialty camps, 12 day camps, two traditional and one pilot teen camp for kids from 5 to 16 years old. Day camp fees are as low as $35/week, and some camps are free for teenagers.


We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Buckhead