Richland Creek Reservoir Project Extends GEFA Loan

Brown and Caldwell’s Kelly Comstock, a managing consultant on Paulding’s Richland Creek reservoir project, updated the Paulding Board of Commissioners last week on RCR progress and noted recent construction issues that will affect projected overall cost.
According to Comstock who addressed the board last week, some flooding issues not entirely caused by rain has caused some construction delays that have led to some mitigation efforts to ensure that the project remains within its projected timeline for completion next year.
The RCR project continues on time but doesn’t remain on track with its projected $215 million total budget, Comstock reported. The Army Corp of Engineers has been releasing higher water levels from the river that are impacting the ‘critical path’ at the site, said Comstock, who spoke by phone this week. The higher levels PC Construction is the construction manager at risk (CMAR) for the project’s pump stations, raw water intakes and treatment plant. Their completion time has been extended due to the gap created by the need to modify the site so construction can continue, Comstock said.
Comstock told commissioners there are some unused contingencies and allowances that are available to help offset the additional cost. Commissioners last week voted to increase the amount PC has guaranteed as the project’s maximum price for the Reservoir Pump Station project by $1.76 million.
Following that Paulding commissioners also voted to increase the amount the county has borrowed from the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) for the project by $1,800,000 -- after its latest change order forced the county to exceed the money it has on hand from the loan to complete the $215 million project.
The county owed $8.2 million on the loan it signed in 2016. The increased financing will raise the loan amount to about $10 million, county officials said. Dallas Mayor Boyd Austin is a member of the GEFA board.

PIPELINE CONSTRUCTION
The RCR is located on approximately 700-acres of county-owned land in northern Paulding County, in the Post 4 district. The project’s lineage involves a pump station at the Etowah River, three miles long, then another pump station in the reservoir that will pump water out into the treatment plant, and then another pump station that sends the water through 12 miles of pipe to Dallas. A major segment of the Richland Creek Water Supply Program construction runs along Hwy 61 (Cartersville Highway) between Dallas and the reservoir site near the Bartow County line. That phase is nearing completion, Comstock said.
Construction to install the 11-mile pipeline section was expected to take approximately 12 months to complete.
In his report last week Comstock said that 22 of the 23 pipeline paths at road and stream crossings had thus far been completed, and 46,000 [linear feet] of the total 56,800 has been completed, and work is also beginning on the Phase 2 section of pipeline. That section runs from Walraven Road into Dallas and is the final and shorter section of pipeline to be completed.
Comstock showed completion dates for each phase of the project as the end the project moves closer. Those dates are: the Raw Water Pipeline is completed, Water Treatment Plant, in May, the Dam, in June, the Etowah River Pump Station, in September, Phase 1 Finished Water Pipeline, April and Phase 2 Finished Water Pipeline, September.