Resident questions county takeover of Warren Water Authority and potential $10 million upgrades

Resident David Hambrick pressed the Echols County Board of Commissioners on June 5 about a possible transfer of the Warren Water Authority to county control, asking whether the county would assume debts and liabilities, including a cited $71,000 loan, and who would repay an estimated $10 million in system upgrades.

Hambrick said he was frustrated by what he described as a lack of transparency and asked whether residents served by the system could opt out and install private wells. He also raised questions about water quality, long‑term maintenance, operating costs and whether the county would run the system in‑house or contract with a private operator.

Commissioners and staff responded that a county‑run system would operate as an enterprise fund, meaning general taxpayer dollars would not be used for system operations unless a special tax district were later created and approved by residents. Commissioners said legal limits govern dissolution or transfer: the Warren Water Authority was created by a 1972 act of the Georgia Legislature and can only be dissolved or transferred through legislative action; the County Attorney is preparing a resolution for submission to the state.

Officials identified possible funding sources for infrastructure work, including grants and loans from the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and said any large improvements would be phased over time according to need and affordability. County representatives emphasized that if outside contractors or operators were used, those services would be procured through public bidding.

Residents and commissioners also discussed practical limits on private wells, noting many lots lack the size or setbacks required for new wells. Some attendees questioned the fairness of asking water system users to fund upgrades to facilities that also serve county properties such as the courthouse, health department and library. Officials said they would pursue due diligence, public engagement and grant opportunities to limit any burden on taxpayers outside the system.