DAWSONVILLE, Ga. – The Etowah Water and Sewer Authority (EWSA) Board of Directors unanimously approved the replacement of a water main at Hwy. 53 where it crosses Lake Lanier near War Hill Park and Dawson Forest Road at a cost of $68,500 during its monthly meeting Tuesday.

EWSA General Manager Brooke Anderson said, “It has broken twice in the last month. It’s a problem and we want to get it fixed to serve our customers better.”

He added that the problem is caused by the combination of age, materials and placement. “It was installed many years ago on a rock bedding and typically, they don’t do that. Also, they used PVC piping.”

The Board also approved long-term monitoring and annual reporting of the Lake Altoona/Upper Etowah Watershed Protection Plan at a cost of $150,000 for two years, which includes the use of USGS gauges.

The Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) requires the Authority to monitor streams in its watershed, including the Amicalola and Etowah rivers, for different chemicals and the impact on aquatic life.

The Board also unanimously approved the 2016 audit report to be performed by Rushton & Company, an accounting and business consulting firm that is in the final year of its five-year contract with the Authority, at a cost of $22,055 for one year. The five-year contract is expected to cost $23,000 for years one through three and $23,000 for years four and five.