RICEBORO — As the Liberty County Development Authority ponders where a proposed wastewater treatment plant will discharge its effluent, Riceboro officials said their own plant is in serious need of work.
At a state of the city meeting at the Riceboro Youth Center, Mayor Chris Stacy and city council members outlined what the city had done in the past year — and what needs to be done soon.
“The treatment plant needs to be upgraded,” Council member David Miller said.
“The system is getting old and needs to be upgraded,” Stacy added.
The projected cost for the work on the treatment plant is $6 million, and Stacy said the city would seek a loan from the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority, or GEFA. The city will make its application in August and is expecting to hear the results in February 2027.
While the city’s current population is around 740, that number could grow in the next few years. In fact, the city is looking at developers building nearly 300 homes in and around Riceboro, Stacy said.
Stacy emphasized that the work needed to be on Riceboro’s wastewater treatment plant has no bearing on the LCDA’s plans for its wastewater treatment plant.
The LCDA, which is renewing efforts to build a wastewater treatment plant near its Tradeport East facility off Islands Highway, is looking at two different spots for discharge of highly treated wastewater. One of those is the North Newport River at a spot not far from Riceboro.
Stacy said the city has asked for a representative from the state Environmental Protection Division to be present at the meeting, which is set for July 13 at 6 p.m. at the Riceboro Youth Center.
The mayor added no decision has been made on where the highly-treated wastewater will go. The proposed LCDA plant could treat as much as 3 million gallons per day, but they also are eyeing industrial customers and a planned massive housing development to consume much of that water as cooling or reuse.
“They want you to come out,” Mayor pro tem Louise Brown said of the LCDA. “They want to hear your voice.”
Stacy also delved into the roundabout planned for E.B. Cooper Highway and Barrington Ferry Road. The county has designated $2.5 million once targeted for Interstate Paper Road improvements toward work on the roundabout, Stacy said, and the county has taken over the project, which will speed it up.
County representatives have met with property owners, including two churches and a convenience store, about the land that will be needed to accommodate the roundabout — which will be designed to handle turning 18-wheelers, Stacy pointed out.
“I think it would be good to let the citizens know there is a copy of a preliminary design,” said former Riceboro mayor and Liberty County Commission chairman John McIver. “I hope the city will look out for the citizens of Riceboro.”
Stacy said the city also will ask the state Department of Transportation about lowering the speed limit on E.B. Cooper Highway to 45 mph, especially as traffic increases on the road.
“People can’t get to their mailboxes,” he said. “To me, it’s a big concern.”
The city is planning on having its signature event, Ricefest, from November 11-13. Brown issued a reminder that any food vendor who signs up to take part also must pass a health department inspection.
The city also is making plans for another tree lighting ceremony and an Easter egg hunt, along with doing something for its older population. During Georgia Cities Week, the city gifted some of its residents who are 75 and older, a total of 92 people.
Residents got a city coffee mug and a $25 gift card and Brown said the response from some was overwhelming, with one of their older recipients sending back a thank you card.
“One person broke down and cried,” Brown said. “It was so special the city would think so much of her. It was the thought — she didn’t expect it. It blessed me to know that even though it was something small, it might be big to somebody else.”
The city also could be expanding its boundaries by 803 acres, after HB 1594, setting a new city limits, was signed by Gov. Brian Kemp last month. But with the expected growth, council members said the need for a millage rate also is coming, and the city will have to look at a full-time fire department, rather than relying on volunteers, and possibly starting its own police department in the future.
“We know growth is coming,” Stacy said. “Our goal is to make sure it’s going in the right direction.”