With more growth on the horizon, local leaders are getting back together to make sure there is enough water to go around, and they’re bringing new life to an old group.

At the Liberty County midyear retreat, the first topic of discussion was water and sewer for the present and the future. Leaders are looking at a regional water plan that could make Liberty County “more attractive and competitive for developments.”

“It is mainly to try to provide to have the infrastructure in place so the counties and cities can grow in the right way with water and sewer availability,” County Administrator Joey Brown said.

Under the Sound Science Initiative, Liberty County originally was put in the “yellow zone” for water withdrawal. Later, the county was moved into the “red zone,” which puts a cap on the amount of water to be withdrawn from the ground.

A cone of depression had formed, leading to saltwater intrusion of freshwater sources for some coastal counties.

McIntosh County, just to the south, is in a green zone, however, meaning it has no limits on the amount of water to be withdrawn.

Brown asked what needs to be done in order for the community to be ready for the future — and the key to the answer may rest with what had become a dormant function, the Water Resource Council.

Getting the Water Resource Council reactivated and reforming its membership could help bring about a regional water plan, Brown acknowledged.

The first Water Resources Development Council was formed years ago and included Fort Stewart, the Liberty County Development Authority, private water suppliers and green zone well suppliers.

Local mayors met in December and another meeting was held in March with local government system operators. Those meetings, according to Brown, were beneficial and positive.

“As main water suppliers, as main water license suppliers, if they weren’t going to come together, it was going to be extra challenging,” he said. “That cohesiveness showed in that room. We do want to work together to help develop this plan. We want to come together to make this work.”

There are plans to join water lines soon at some points in the county. While Midway continues work on its new well on Charlie Butler Road, the county is looking at taking its water lines to connect to Riceboro’s and taking its lines west of the McIntosh community to connect to Hinesville’s lines in Flemington.

“In the long run, connectivity is where things are,” Brown said.

Ten years ago, Riceboro began an approach to get water from McIntosh County and its “green zone,” and a connection to a well there began in 2018.

It was Riceboro’s partnership with McIntosh County that led Hinesville to its approach for easing its water burden, especially on the west side of the city.

City Manager Kenneth Howard said he took a look at Hinesville’s water capacity and needs when he first took office.

“And we realized we were running out of water,” he said.

That led to talks with Long County for a well just inside the Long County line that is also close to the Hinesville city limits. The goal, Howard said, was to ensure there was water for Hinesville and for the fast-growing city of Flemington.

“As a result, with what we have in place now, it will set up Hinesville to continue this growth for years to come,” Howard said.

Carmen Cole of the Liberty County Development Authority said they have some water capacity for their needs but sewer is a hurdle. While the LCDA’s Tradeport East continues to attract potential development, Cole said there is also some interest now in the Hinesville Industrial Park.

Along with more frequent meetings a revised Water Resources Council, Brown laid out other potential actions, such as coming up with a countywide plan to address sustainable growth and development goals, led by the council’s technical committee. Other steps could include forming a stakeholders group, reviewing and updating the Liberty County section in the regional water and sewer plan, written in 2015, and align the county plan to it, and start intergovernmental agreements to bring cities on the same page for a regional approach. A cost and benefit study also could be undertaken, and a long-term goal is to make the public more aware of water issues.

With grant applications needing to be done quickly, the council’s technical committee met quickly to begin those efforts. Among the to-do list items are developing outlines for plans, tasks and timelines and to use the technical committee for draft document preparation.

“And most importantly, establish a timeline so we can move forward,” Brown said.