Commissioners recently approved an agreement between the Department of Water Resources and Georgia Tech Research Corporation for a research project that will evaluate the impact of septic systems on Lake Lanier. The nearly $2.4 million contract will span three years.

The project will entail sampling and monitoring groundwater quality and flow, lake water, and lake sediment in developed and undeveloped areas of the lake.

“In addition to its recreational use, Lake Lanier provides drinking water for Gwinnett County and much of metro Atlanta, either directly or downstream from the Chattahoochee River,” said JC Lan, DWR Deputy Director for Engineering and Technical Services. “This research will provide data to help us better understand water quality in the lake and what can be done to continue to improve it.”

The Georgia Environmental Protection Division has recently proposed a Total Maximum Daily Load, or TMDL, for nutrients in Lake Lanier. These nutrients include phosphorus and nitrogen. The research will help Gwinnett assess which strategies may help reduce this nutrient loading and provide a model the County and EPD can use to predict lake response to remedial actions.

Georgia Tech Research Corporation will use staff from the Georgia Water Resources Institute and subcontract with the University of Georgia and Cornell University for some facets of the project.

The Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources is a publicly owned utility committed to providing superior water, wastewater, and stormwater services at an excellent value to residents and businesses. DWR is widely recognized for innovation and service excellence as well as stewardship of the environmental resources in Gwinnett County. For more information, visit www.gwinnettH2O.com.