Valdosta has been talking about building a second drinking water plant for a long time, and this week they broke ground for it, just south of Valdosta Airport.

That’s a good thing, since it helps direct development close in to Valdosta, instead of sprawling into agricultural and forestry land.

Everyone please note: drinking water plant. Not wastewater plant.

Valdosta groundbreaking on additional drinking water plant, on Race Track Road SE, South of Valdosta Airport

Here’s hoping Valdosta’s contractors tested sufficiently to be sure the new wells will not draw in river water, like what happened at the old drinking water plant on Guest Road, where they had to sink the wells twice as deep.

Also, we shall see what effect withdrawing 2.5 million gallons a day of groundwater will have. This plant appears to be under the same permit number, GA1850002, as the old one.

Valdosta posted a YouTube video, with voiceover by Mayor Scott James Matheson:

https://youtu.be/8x-mtomtSX8?si=uGSwUsWMCJCj_Q5G

The Mayor said the plant may help direct growth to the south side of Valdosta. That is something that has been lacking for a long time.

The Mayor posted some pictures on facebook, including this one.

https://www.facebook.com/scott.james.3532507/posts/pfbid02W4aVM7yhBKeDNQSmG7sfr9ipcDepcQkpy22BMVbsgrouu21VY1C2VGVJpEtDdfZEl

Estimated Completion Date 2027, 2025-12-18 –Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson

Here’s the City’s press release, 19 December 2025, City of Valdosta Breaks Ground on Water Treatment Plant 2,

The City of Valdosta officially broke ground on Thursday, December 18, marking the start of a new greenfield at Water Treatment Plant 2 (WTP2), a major investment in the community’s long-term water quality, reliability, and capacity.

Groundbreaking at Valdosta Drinking Water Plant 2, 2025-12-18, –City of Valdosta PR

The WTP2 project is designed to strengthen Valdosta’s drinking water system by enhancing treatment performance, modernizing key infrastructure, and supporting future growth. This will help ensure the City continues providing safe, dependable service for residents, businesses, and visitors.

“Today’s groundbreaking represents much more than construction, it represents confidence in Valdosta’s future,” said Utilities Director Jason Barnes. “This project is about delivering dependable service day in and day out, strengthening our system against aging infrastructure and growing demand, and making sure our residents can trust that clean, high-quality water will continue to flow to their homes and neighborhoods.”

Mayor Scott James Matheson emphasized the City’s commitment to critical infrastructure and responsible planning, “Water is one of the most essential services we provide, and this project reflects our commitment to investing in what matters most,” Mayor Matheson said. “By breaking ground on Water Treatment Plant 2, we are protecting public health, supporting economic development, and ensuring Valdosta remains a strong, resilient community for generations to come.”

The project is being supported by the City’s engineering partners, including CDM Smith, which is providing design, permitting, construction services and technical expertise.

“Water treatment facilities are the backbone of any community’s public health and economic stability,” said Yanni Polematidis, PE, BCEE, PMP, Engineer of Record and an Associate at CDM Smith. “Water Treatment Plant 2 will enhance operational reliability and position the City of Valdosta to meet both current needs and long-term demands with confidence, while preserving existing water infrastructure.”

Construction will take place in phases to maintain continuous service and project is estimated to be completed by November 2027. The City will provide periodic updates as the project progresses, including expected milestones and any traffic or operational advisories if applicable.

The press release does not say where this new drinking water plant is. But in the RFQ documents, TTL wrote on June 19, 2024 in its report on its borrow pit evaluation:

This project is located in an open agricultural field west of GA State Highway 31 and north of Race Track Road SE in Lowndes County, Georgia. The water treatment plant is proposed to be just west of the Valdosta Regional Airport southern fence.

In its Geotechnical Report, TTL provided a Site Location Map.

Map: Site Location, Valdosta Water Treatment Plant, 2024-01-15 –TTL for CDM Smith for City of Valdosta
PDF

There is a Proposed Site Plan in the Construction Drawings.

Proposed Site Plan, Valdosta WTP No. 2 and Production Wells, 2025-07-01 –CDM Smith for City of Valdosta
PDF

That’s near the divide between the Withlacoochee and Alapaha River Basins, as you can see in this detail from the WWALS map of all public landings in the Suwannee River Basin.

Map: Valdosta Water Plant 2, 2025-12-20 –WWALS map of all public landings in the Suwannee River Basin

According to The National Map by USGS, that’s in HUC 12-0311-02030901, which includes the upstream end of Bevel Creek, which runs into Jumping Gully Creek, into the Withlacoochee River just across the GA-FL line into Florida.

Map: Bevel Creek, HUC 12-0311-02030901, 2025-12-20 –USGS The National Map

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can help with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable, water in the 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin in Florida and Georgia by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations/

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