Jackson County Water & Sewer Authority

Jackson County Water & Sewer Authority Municipal Water Report Info

The JCWSA was established as a political subdivision of Georgia by an act of the Georgia General Assembly in 1986 to provide water and sewer services to Jackson County residents. The Authority is governed by a 5-member board, all Jackson County residents, appointed by the county commissioners. Members serve staggered 3-year terms without compensation for a maximum of 9 years. Board members cannot be reappointed after 3 consecutive terms without at least one year of inactive status.

Currently, the board members are:
• Dylan Wilbanks, Chairman
• Pat Bell, Vice-Chair
• Christopher Nichols
• Don Clerici
• Jim Smith

The JCWSA operates as an independent political subdivision, similar to counties and cities in Georgia. However, the Authority is not a taxing entity and operates as an enterprise, meaning it functions solely on revenues from water and sewer billings and fees.

Previously, the JCWSA received a portion of Special Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) funds from Jackson County. These funds were used exclusively for major water projects including transmission lines, large mains, water towers, and pumping stations. As of the end of 2011, the Authority no longer received SPLOST funding. With voter approval of SPLOST #6 in March 2016, the Authority will again receive a percentage of the one percent tax to address water needs in Jackson County.

Your Water: Where Does It Come From?

Most water supplied by the JCWSA is purchased from the Bear Creek Reservoir and Water Treatment Plant. The 505-acre reservoir is located in extreme southwest Jackson County. Water is pumped to the adjacent treatment plant where it's conditioned, filtered, chlorinated, and then pumped into JCWSA's system ready for use.

The Bear Creek Reservoir and Treatment Plant is owned and operated by the Upper Oconee Basin Water Authority (UOBWA), an independent political subdivision of Georgia. Four counties own portions of the reservoir, while three counties own shares of the treatment plant:

Reservoir Ownership:
• Athens-Clarke
• Jackson (25% share)
• Barrow
• Oconee

Treatment Plant Ownership:
• Jackson (43.9% share)
• Barrow
• Oconee

The JCWSA occasionally purchases treated water from the City of Commerce in northeast Jackson County during high demand periods, water main breaks, or other unexpected conditions. Once in our system, water is distributed throughout unincorporated Jackson County, sometimes requiring re-pumping at booster stations to maintain pressure at higher elevations. The JCWSA generally doesn't supply water to Jefferson, Commerce, Braselton, Maysville, and Nicholson as these cities maintain their own water systems, though JCWSA can provide water when needed.