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County clears way for its own straw into Lake Lanier By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Forsyth County officials say a $7,600 easement approved Jan. 8 will jump start one of its largest capital projects in history and allow the county to declare water independence for the first time in decades. For nearly 40 years, a multistate federal lawsuit has forced the county to source nearly all of its water from a Lake Lanier intake facility owned by the City of Cumming. But, a 2021 U.S. Supreme Court ruling opened the door for the county to access water from the lake. The easement allows access to a 180-foot-deep wet well shaft to be located on county-owned property adjacent to Tidwell Park on the lake’s eastern side. This is the first step in an almost $200 million project to create the county’s own water intake facility. County Manager David McKee said the easement marks the start of a new era in county infrastructure.
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An underwater intake will be connected with a subterranean pipe to a to a nearby pumping facility near Tidwell Park.
See LANIER, Page 22
Transit fleet gains access to school fueling site By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Forsyth County is looking toward a partnership with the school district to aid cost saving efforts for its public transit fleet. The Forsyth County Commission approved an agreement with Forsyth County Schools Dec. 18 for access to a propane
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refueling site at North Forsyth High School. The site will provide fuel to two propane-powered buses the county has ordered. The two Ford E-350 buses, which are expected to arrive early this year and will serve the county’s Access Forsyth public transit program. Access Forsyth provides rides on small buses and is available to passengers via a reservation system.
County spokesman Russell Brown said the new vehicles are expected to save costs. “These alternative fuel vehicles will give Access Forsyth a better MPG for their service, thus lowering the total cost of ownership over time and positively impacting the amount of funds required to support public transportation,” Brown said.
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See PROPANE, Page 21
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