Throwing a committee at the request

A sub-committee is being formed to study whether the water and sewer authority in Hart County, Georgia should allow Oconee County-based Pioneer Rural Water District to draw water from Lake Hartwell, using Hart County’s easement. Pioneer wants to build a treatment plant, but lacks a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers to draw raw water from the lake. On Monday, Pioneer officials formally asked the Hart County authority to piggyback on that county’s permit. The request was tabled for further study. WLHR Lake Hartwell Radio reports that, at a meeting yesterday, Hart County Commission Chairman Joey Dorsey asked for the subcommittee to include other stakeholders. Dorsey fears there could be competition for water with Hart’s planned expansion of the Gateway Industrial Park. While it waits for corps’ approval of withdrawal permit, Pioneer seeks a three-year arrangement with Hart County and would pay $30 thousand a year for the privilege of using that county’s permit.