Community

The Dog River Reservoir

The Douglasville-Douglas County Water and Sewer Authority (“WSA”) was created in 1985 and began operations on April 1, 1986. At that time, Douglas County’s primary source of raw surface water supply was the Bear Creek Reservoir. The water supply was treated at the Bear Creek Water Treatment Plant which had a capacity of 4.0 million gallons per day (mgd).

One of the first items of business identified by the newly created Authority was the need for a long-term, high-quality source of raw surface water to stay ahead of the anticipated growth and development in Douglas County. Recognizing the limited capacity of the Bear Creek Reservoir to meet this growth, the Authority initiated an engineering study evaluating 23 potential reservoir sites. The study concluded that a 212-acre reservoir, impounding 1.2 billion gallons on Dog River, was the most viable source.

At the time, the Dog River Reservoir and dam were the largest water improvement projects ever undertaken in the County’s history and took nearly seven years to bring to fruition. With an initial withdrawal permit of 6.0 mgd, the reservoir was placed in service in September of 1992.

In 1998, the Authority authorized an engineering study to determine the potential outcomes of expanding the reservoir. The reservoir study concluded that 23.0 mgd of water could be reliably withdrawn by increasing the height of the reservoir and dam ten feet. Construction finally began in June of 2008, and the expansion was completed in May of 2009. Post expansion, the reservoir covered 256 acres and provided storage capacity for 1.9 billion gallons of raw water.

WSA’s responsibility to provide water resources to the community means continuously planning for the future of Douglas County. WSA is now in the midst of a multi-year project to raise the height of the reservoir by an additional 35 feet, which will triple its impoundment capacity to 6.5 billion gallons of water. This expansion will secure adequate water resources in the community through the year 2050. At a cost of over 150 million dollars, the current reservoir expansion project will be the largest public infrastructure investment in Douglas County’s history. The Bear Creek Water Treatment Plant was also upgraded during this time and is currently rated to treat 23 mgd, though it currently averages between 12 and 13 million gallons per day.