Dawsonville has moved forward with two pieces of business that will allow it to expand water infrastructure.
The city council voted 4-0 on Oct. 7 to approve using a portion of the city's $450,000 from the 2012 tap fee fund to go toward a $300,000 Atlanta Regional Commission matching grant for the city's sewer processing plant.
The funds will be used for maintenance and to upgrade the current municipal sewer system.
"We're increasing the size of our pond and actually adding a smaller pond next to it," said Mayor James Grogan. "We have 16 aerators now and we're adding 16 more. That gives us aeration to treat the water and redistribute it quickly."
The grant funding is for eligible community water, sewer, storm sewer and solid waste projects. Applications are received year round.
The city's other option was to pursue a loan from the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority.
Had it secured one, the interest rate would have been in the 3 to 4 percent range, meaning the city would spend an extra $12,000 on interest.
The second water-related item allows Grogan to apply for a Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loan from the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority.
The loan would be for $1 million with debt forgiveness of $118,000.
"This probably would not take place before 2015, at most," Grogan said. "We're just doing our due diligence on moving the ball forward."