Based on future population estimates, the amount of water that the Etowah Water and Sewer Authority can pull from the Etowah River will cap out within the next 10 to 12 years. The authority, the county’s only water provider, currently has a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to draw water from the Etowah River, but the amount that is permitted will not be enough to sustain growth or see the county through a drought. The authority is planning to construct a bigger dam on Russell Creek, a tributary to the Etowah River, in order to create a more permanent water supply. According to Etowah Water and Sewer Authority General Manager Brooke Anderson, who presented an update on the reservoir project at a recent Dawson County Chamber of Commerce luncheon, the authority is now working to select a design engineer for Russell Creek Reservoir, which will be capable of producing 17.3 million gallons per day, compared to the authority’s current usage of 5.5 million gallons a day.