Bill privatizing water rights for Hyundai workforce housing passes in Georgia Senate
A bill that would allow private companies to supply water for workforce housing near the new Hyundai plant in Bryan County passed in the Senate on the last day of the legislative session, with a contentious 32-22 vote. The bill, one of few that did not cleanly fall along party lines, with Sen. Derek Mallow (D-Savannah) voting for the bill and Sen. Frank Ginn (R-Danielsville) opposing it.
House Bill 1146 passed in the House on Crossover Day, with strong support from Savannah-area lawmakers in both chambers. However, the bill was opposed by environmental groups such as One Hundred Miles, a nonprofit who says its mission is to “protect and preserve Georgia's coast.”
The bill would allow the Department of Natural Resources’ Environmental Protection Division to issue water permits to private companies, provided there isn’t a public option provided within 18 months. It is an attempt to invest in new infrastructure for an estimated 8,500 workers employed by Hyundai, located in a part of Savannah that currently has limited housing options.
Bryan, Chatham and parts of Effingham counties have caps on the amount of water they can take from the Floridan Aquifer, and the bill’s author Rep. Ron Stephens (R-Savannah) accurately pointed out that Bryan County’s permit does not have the capacity to serve the entire expected population. However, he also repeatedly misled lawmakers about the bill’s rationale in committee meetings and on the House floor.
More: Stephens makes fact-challenged case for HB 1146 to enable private water utilities in state
More: Savannah's Stephens revisits false narrative in pushing private water service bill
“As you can imagine, part of the role of government is infrastructure,” said state Sen. Ben Watson (R-Savannah), who sponsored the bill in the Senate. “It is working with the private partners, and that’s what this bill does.”
“This is not new, there are thousands of private water systems throughout the state,” Watson said. “They work together, public and private, and that’s what we should encourage.”
Several senators took the floor to oppose the legislation, warning of the dangers of privatizing necessary services like water and sanitation.
“While presented as workforce housing by Chairman Stephens, HB 1146 essentially allows private developers to bypass local governments, which are tasked with ensuring responsible development,” said Sen. Nikki Merritt (D- Grayson), who spoke against the bill. “The people of Bryan County are striving to meet the demands of a growing workforce and they deserve to have a say in the planning process to ensure safe drinking water and essential services for the current and future residents.”
The bill now goes to Gov. Kemp’s desk for his signature.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Senate passes bill privatizing water rights for workforce housing
