Fulton County will celebrate the completion of the newly renovated Big Creek Water Reclamation Facility (WRF) with a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on Thursday, September 12, 2024. The Ribbon Cutting Ceremony begins at 10 a.m. at 1030 Marietta Highway, Roswell, GA 30075.

The Big Creek Water Reclamation Facility, which sits west of the Chattahoochee River in the Big Creek Basin serves the largest service area and largest total flow of wastewater treatment facilities in North Fulton County. The expansion project with a total cost of $350 million, including $300 million for construction and an additional $50 million for related infrastructure enhancements. This is Fulton County’s largest infrastructure investment to date.

The upgraded plant will expand treatment capacity from the current 24 million gallons per day (MGD) to 32 MGD.  The expanded plant uses state-of-the-art technology and is now the second largest flat-membrane treatment plant in the United States.  Water treated at the plant is returned to the Chattahoochee River and will be cleaner than ever before.

“North Fulton is an area that continues to see growth in its population, along with ongoing economic development,” said Fulton County District 2 Commissioner Bob Ellis. “To meet the wastewater capacity demands these increases produce, the Fulton County Board of Commissioners recognizes the expansion of the Big Creek Water Reclamation Facility is critical in providing this vital resource to support both current and future growth.”

“The work that is being done at Big Creek is a testament to the commitment and dedication of the Fulton County Public Works Department,” said Public Works Director David Clark. “This facility serves approximately 70 square miles and includes Roswell, Alpharetta, portions of Johns Creek and Milton, and two other counties. Big Creek needs the additional capacity to meet the growing wastewater treatment demands of the service area.”

Fulton County has operated a water treatment facility at Big Creek for more than 50 years. The original plant, built in 1971, had capacity to treat 750,000 gallons per day. The newly expanded facility is designed to serve the community for 50 more years, with capacity to allow for seamless future expansion up to 38 MGD.

The plant also includes features to increase resilience in the face of an emergency, including a network of backup generators to ensure ongoing water treatment in the event of a major power interruption. The use of membrane technology provides a higher level of treatment that will result in a significantly lower waste load to the river than the current permit.

The project was implemented for Fulton County in 2017 by the Archer Western–Brown and Caldwell Joint Venture Team. This much needed project not only incorporates the most current technological advances in treating wastewater, it also addresses odor control, noise, and lighting issues in the surrounding neighborhoods and shopping complexes to support a better community.

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