McIntyre, Ga. –– Following his push, U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff secured bipartisan support to help build Wilkinson County’s first public sewer system.
Sen. Ossoff secured $6.3 million to help the City of McIntyre and Wilkinson County begin construction of the sewer system, which will improve public health and quality of life for families.
The funding passed both the Senate and House.
Georgians living in McIntyre and other cities across Wilkinson County currently rely on failing septic tanks, and local officials have been working to finance a sewer system for more than three decades.
“Wilkinson County has never had a sewer system, so I teamed up with county leadership, city leadership, and reached out across the aisle here in the Senate to deliver the resources necessary for Wilkinson County to build its first ever sewer system,” Sen. Ossoff said.
“This is truly a life-changing project for the people of Wilkinson County. The health and safety of a sewer system to replace the collapsing septic system will drastically improve the quality of life and opportunity for the residents here,” said Michael Gotell, Chairman of the Wilkinson County Commission. “On behalf of the people of Wilkinson County, I am grateful for the help of Sen. Ossoff and Sen. Warnock. This project could not have been accomplished without their hard work and determination on behalf of our rural county. This shows the strength of working together as a team.”
“We have struggled for so long to build a safe and healthy sewer system for McIntyre and this part of Wilkinson County. This funding will allow this rural community to replace the collapsing septic systems,” said Mayor of McIntyre Vicki Horne. “As a nurse, I know personally what this will do for the safety of the residents of our community. We could have never been able to get this accomplished without the help of Sen. Ossoff and Sen. Warnock. We are eternally grateful for their persistence, determination and hard work on our behalf.”
County and city officials have said that if a public sewer system does not become available for McIntyre and surrounding areas, residents may eventually need to move out of their homes when their septic systems fail, due to a lack of available places to dispose of residential sewage.
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