SAVANNAH, Ga. () – Governor Brian Kemp (R-Ga.) is carving out a large portion of the 2025 budget to make sure Savannah and its neighboring regions have enough water.

“I’m very happy, pleased, jubilated, that Gov. Kemp has committed a major investment in the future of our water in our region,” said Savannah Mayor Van Johnson Tuesday.

The investment comes in the form of $500M in regional water supply for the city of Savannah, and Chatham, Effingham and Bryan Counties.

“This is big because this will help us reach the forecasted need of providing nearly 100M gallons of fresh water every single day to our current and future customers,” said Mayor Johnson.

In addition to new water, other upgrades will include those to service water intake at Abercorn Creek, enhanced treatment equipment, and new transmission lines and pumps. This, as the Coastal Empire’s population continues to grow.

“The reality is water continues to be an issue for us,” said Mayor Johnson, “Water is essential. Our city, this region continues to grow, and not just Savannah, everywhere around us, and so our ability to survive will really depend on our ability to able to provide water to our customers.”

But with the demand already here, is it too little, too late?

“I don’t think it’s too little, too late,” said Mayor Johnson, “I think it’s the right time. For us, this really isn’t about today, it’s about tomorrow, so we have, right now, the amount of water we need to provide today. That’s very clear.”

The funds are undergoing review in the legislative session in Atlanta, and the mayor says as soon as the budget gets approved, work can begin.