Savannah, Effingham reach agreement to protect Abercorn Creek water source from development

The City of Savannah has withdrawn its threat of legal action against Effingham County over an approved warehouse park that could threaten its neighboring property, Savannah's drinking water intake plant on Abercorn Creek. The decision came after Effingham County took several steps to protect the water source, which is a tributary of the Savannah River. 

"According to our city attorney, Effingham County has taken the matter seriously and offered concessions that will protect our joint water supply," Savannah spokesperson Keturah Greene-Luckett said. "Due to those reasons, the City is not moving forward with further legal action."

Background:Proposed Effingham industrial park threatens tri-county drinking water

The project under scrutiny comes from Chesterfield LLC, which is seeking to develop about 100 acres of rural land into a warehouse park for the region's booming logistics sector. Approved plans would have placed a drainage ditch less than 20 feet from the property line the developer shares with Savannah's drinking water intake plant along Abercorn Creek. 

'No time to respond':Proposed Effingham development threatens regional drinking water supply

City staff and clean water advocates argued that the presence of industrial activity so close to the primary drinking water source for three counties of people is too dangerous, and could result in a disastrous situation, should contaminants infect the water supply. 

If a flood were to leak run-off from the industrial site into the groundwater source at Abercorn Creek, the impact on the city's drinking water supply would be instant, according to Tonya Bonitatibus, the Savannah Riverkeeper, who spoke out against the project when it was approved in August 2022.

Abercorn Creek supplies drinking water for the city of Savannah and parts of Chatham, Effingham and Bryan counties. 

Tim Callanan, Effingham County manager, said the county is requiring the developer to develop protections for a 100-year rain event, which is a storm that has about a 1% chance of occurring each year. In Savannah, precipitation levels have indicated a 100-year rain event is more than 11 inches in 24 hours. 

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Callanan said the county is also requiring the developer to install berms alongside the property lines that neighbor the city's water plant, reduce the number of run-off outlets from the property's retention ponds and install sluice gates, which help control water flow. 

"Effingham county will continue to keep the City of Savannah informed of future developments in the area," Callanan said. 

But activists who have long opposed any projects near the intake plant said the agreement does not do enough to protect Abercorn Creek.

Jen Hilburn, North Coast Advocate for the environmental advocacy nonprofit 100 Miles, said the "reckless approvals" from Effingham County and the lack of strong leadership from Savannah to block the project creates a dangerous situation.

"Effingham County was reckless and short-sighted in re-zoning properties around the water intake. After starting strong, Savannah leadership eventually failed to hold them accountable for this egregious action," Hilburn said. 

The region's main water source used to be the Upper Floridan Aquifer, but increasing saltwater intrusion has labelled the area's groundwater as in a "red zone," meaning federal agencies limit how much and how often water can be pulled from the aquifer. This means surface water from Abercorn Creek is one of the only options for a water source, according to a 2018 water usage plan from Chatham County.

New water wells are being dug in Bulloch County for the growth of northern Bryan County and the Hyundai Metaplant, but no long-term drinking water plan for residents of Savannah has been decided. Officials with the Joint-Development Authority — the four-county consortium of development officials who worked to woo Hyundai to the region and are handing the bulk of infrastructure planning ahead of its 2025 opening — said they were looking into long-term solutions for the region's water needs. 

But in the short-term, Abercorn Creek remains the City of Savannah and outlying communities' main source for drinking water. 

"This series of poor decision-making from both Effingham County and City of Savannah leadership has epically failed our region, and we will be dealing with the implications for years to come," Hilburn added. "Everywhere people understand the importance of clean water, why don’t we understand?"

Zoe is the Savannah Morning News' Investigative Reporter. Find her at znicholson@gannett.com, @zoenicholson_ on Twitter, and @zoenicholsonreporter on Instagram.