SPRINGFIELD, Ga. () — Effingham County residents could see a new surface water intake facility and a water treatment facility in five years, the Effingham County Board of Commissioners said.

The Effingham County Board of Commissioners announced the approval of funding for the development of a new water intake and treatment facility Friday.

Governor Brian Kemp and the General Assembly have committed over $500 million in funding to support water infrastructure and said they are working towards the long-term water needs of the Coastal Empire. The project will also bring upgrades for Savannah and Bryan County.

Officials said that by connecting the Savannah and Effingham systems, both areas will benefit from having more water supplies. The new Effingham intake facility will be located eight miles upriver from Savannah’s, which officials said will make it more resilient to saltwater intrusion in the Savannah River caused by drought, storm surges and rising sea levels.

The plant is also supposed to also address things such as PFAS, also known as forever chemicals (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). The City of Savannah recently filed a lawsuit against nearly 50 companies, alleging that they have been dumping harmful chemicals known as PFAS or “forever chemicals” into the Savannah River.

The project will be constructed in two phases according to officials.

Phase One is estimated to be completed in 2029 and will include:

• The City of Savannah will upgrade its existing intake on Abercorn Creek and its water treatment facility, increasing capacity by 8 million gallons per day.
• Effingham County will construct a new water transmission line connecting its main line, where it currently receives water from the Savannah system to the Bryan County line at Interstate 16.
• Bryan County will build a line connecting to the Hyundai Meta Plant site.

Phase Two is estimated to be completed in 2030 and will include:

• Effingham County will build a new surface water intake on the Savannah River, a new 12 million gallon-per-day (MGD) water treatment facility (expandable to 24 MGD), and transmission lines to connect the two facilities.