Toccoa leaders reject Madison/Elbert regional water letter

The WNEG report stated that Mayor Austin is concerned that if Toccoa does not explore other options for selling water, the state will begin to question Toccoa’s need for that much capacity.

Quigley said he thought the Toccoa commission would be interested in selling water to its southern neighbors.

“We went out trying to create win-wins for folks,” said Quigley. “We thought this project is a big win-win.”

Following the talks, the Toccoa commissioners unanimously voted to revoke the letter of support for the regional project.

But industrial development authority (IDA) executive director Marvin White said this week that he doesn’t feel the rejection by Toccoa leaders will have a bearing on the state’s decision on the proposed regional connections.

He said connecting the counties is a good long-term plan — a way to bring business to the area and to provide some protection against devastating droughts that could come years from now.

In recent years, the IDA has established connections to the west with Commerce and north with Franklin County. Now the IDA aims to connect water lines to the east. Therefore, the primary aim of the IDA with the current proposal has nothing to do with Toccoa. Instead, both Elbert and Madison County officials are seeking funds to run a line down Hwy. 72 from Elbert County to Madico Industrial Park at Hwy. 172 and Hwy. 98, a project that White hopes will attract more industry to the county’s industrial areas.

He said he doesn’t see the Toccoa vote impacting the state’s decision on the Madison/Elbert plan.

“I don’t think it will have any impact on the project,” said White, who noted the county already has a connection to the north. “And we’re already purchasing water through Franklin County and they can sell to Banks County or Madison County or whoever.”

White added that Elbert County, Elberton city officials, Oglethorpe County, Madison County and Franklin County officials have signed the letter supporting regional connections. He said local state representatives are also in favor of counties connecting their systems.