Richland Creek Reservoir facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Richland Creek Reservoir |
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 Richland Creek Reservoir
Location in Georgia (U.S. state)
Richland Creek Reservoir
Location in the United States
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| Location | Georgia |
| Coordinates | 34°04′28″N 84°50′14″W / 34.07444°N 84.83722°W |
| Type | reservoir, from 2015 |
| Primary inflows | Etowah River |
| Primary outflows | Etowah River |
| Catchment area | 300 acres (1.2 km2) 0.390 square miles |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 305 acres (1.23 km2) 0.4765 square miles |
The Richland Creek Reservoir (RCR) is a large, man-made lake in Georgia, USA. It was built to store water, mainly for drinking. This reservoir gets most of its water from the Etowah River through a special pipeline. The project was completed around 2019, providing an important water source for the area.
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Where is the Richland Creek Reservoir?
The Richland Creek Reservoir is located in Paulding County, Georgia. This county is in the northern part of Georgia.
Why is the Richland Creek Reservoir Important?
Providing Drinking Water
One of the main reasons the Richland Creek Reservoir was built is to give clean drinking water to the people living in Paulding County. It can hold about three billion gallons of water! Before this reservoir, Paulding County bought its water from another authority called the Cobb County Marietta Water Authority (CCMWA).
The RCR helps Paulding County have its own water supply. This means they don't have to rely only on CCMWA for their water. Having their own water source gives the county more control over its water future.
Understanding Water Costs
Building and maintaining a big project like the Richland Creek Reservoir costs money. Experts looked at the costs and found that water rates for customers might go up a little bit over time. These small increases help pay for the reservoir, the pipes, the water treatment plant, and the distribution lines that bring water to homes.
However, once these rates are set, they are expected to stay stable for a long time. This means customers won't have to worry about big, sudden changes in water prices that could happen if they depended on another water provider.
How the Reservoir Was Funded
The money for building the Richland Creek Reservoir came from a few places. A lot of it came from low-interest loans provided by the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA). These are like special loans with low interest rates, making it easier to pay back.
The project also received money from utility bonds. These are like investments where people lend money to the county, and the county promises to pay them back with interest. The RCR is one of four new reservoir projects that GEFA helped fund through a program called the Governor's Water Supply Program (GWSP).
Even though GEFA provided funding, the state of Georgia does not control how the project is built or run. Kevin Clark, who is in charge of GEFA, said that these projects are smart investments. They help make sure Georgia has enough water in the right places and solve important water supply challenges.
See also
