Dalton Utilities eyes sewer expansion; future SPLOST could pay for lines to certain areas

Published 8:41 am Tuesday, May 21, 2019

DALTON, Ga. — Dalton Utilities CEO Tom Bundros says there are a handful of areas outside the city of Dalton that the utility keeps getting questions about from developers and existing businesses about extending sewer.

“These are pockets where there is already development, continued interest in further development and where we already have some infrastructure nearby,” Bundros said Monday during a meeting of the utility’s board.

The five areas are Cleveland Highway from about Beaverdale Road north to Frontier Trail; the area around the Carbondale interchange; the area around the Connector 3 interchange; part of the Westside running from Mill Creek Road along Crider Road to the intersection of Mount Vernon Road and Highway 201; and an area near the south Dalton Bypass where the Whitfield County Board of Commissioners plans a future park.

The projects would total about 64,000 feet of pipe, and Bundros said a “very rough estimate” of the cost would be $10 to $12 million.

Bundros said the utility hasn’t prioritized the projects, but he said the Cleveland Highway area has probably had the most inquiries about sewer.

The board gave Bundros authority to discuss the projects with the City Council Monday night.

“But this does not commit us to doing any of these projects,” said board Chairman Joe Yarbrough.

Bundros said a future Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) could help fund some or all of the projects.

City Council member Denise Wood said she was impressed by the presentation.

“Even though this would be out in the county, my thought is that it could be a higher-tier (SPLOST) item because it could help further economic development,” Wood said.

SPLOST Tier 1 projects are funded before the county and the cities divide any remaining money.

At their work session Monday, Whitfield County commissioners had not yet seen the utility’s proposal but they discussed the general possibility of funding sewer expansion from a future SPLOST.

Board Chairman Lynn Laughter said she could support “strategic” sewer expansion that could boost economic development or affordable housing. But Commissioner Roger Crossen said he is concerned that where sewer has already been extended into the county — such as the line running across the northern part of the county from Tunnel Hill to Coahulla Creek High School — few private homeowners or businesses have hooked up to the line.