Monroe commissioners approve water line for homes with suspected contaminated wells

JULIETTE, GEORGIA (41NBC/WMGT) – Monroe County Commissioners approved installing a water line to help get quality drinking water to the Juliette/Rum Creek area. More than 800 homes in the area suspect they are receiving contaminated water from local wells.

Tuesday, commissioners unanimously approved a contract with Macon-based John R. Walker, Inc. to install more than 37,000 feet of water lines on Highway 18, Abare Road and Bunn Road. According to a Monroe County Facebook post those roads consist of homes affected by reported contamination in private wells.

The project is starting in the south end of the area affected because the new water line can easily tie on to an existing water line on Bunn Road. This area is also close to the Smarr water tower.

Commissioners say the project will affect 374 homes or 44 percent of the homes affected by water contamination.

The water line bid came in just under $1.45 million, and it will be paid for using 2020 SPLOST funds dedicated to running water lines.

The project is expected to take 160 days to complete.

According to the Facebook post, the entire project will take about two years. It will total $16.3 million. And it will span 72.79 miles of water lines bringing water to all 852 homes in the Juliette/Rum Creek area.