Atlanta, GA – A pair of wells will revive the parched lawns and dry fountains in the 200-acre campus around the Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC) in the coming months.
The two 660-foot-deep wells will be able to produce more than 66 gallons of water per minute, which will be used to run the water features and sustain the landscaping that has been forced to survive largely on rainwater. The City of Atlanta instituted tight restrictions on water usage in 2007.
“We no longer have to put a strain on the state’s water supply and, at the same time, we will be able to maintain green space in our downtown area,” said Mark Zimmerman, general manager of the GWCC.
The water restrictions have cost the city $500,000 in withered plants and more than $100,000 in repairs to cracks that have developed in the sun-baked water features. The well project, which includes new irrigation and water storage infrastructure, is expected to pay for itself within three years.
One of the wells is located beneath International Plaza in front of the Building B entrance at the GWCC. It produces 54 gallons of water per minute and will become operational in late August or early September.
The other well has a flow of 12.5 gallons per minute and was dug in the northeast corner of Olympic Park. It will be operational in mid-Summer.
Reach Mark Zimmerman, general manager of the Georgia World Congress Center, at (404) 223-4000 or mzimmerman@gwcc.com
