With counties like Jefferson County, Alabama in bankruptcy, cities, counties and even some States (see the recent newspaper articles on California’s incredible expanding budget deficit) have had to pull back on spending even on what seem to be the most important projects. In an attempt to keeps its finances in order and take some pressure off its budget, Atlanta has come to an agreement with the Federal Government that provides it with a 13-year extension on sewer system upgrades. The completion date for the Atlanta Sewer System Upgrades now appear to be 2027, instead of 2014. The upgrades came about due to federal regulator’s concerns about severe sewer overflows and runoffs into rivers and streams. In 1999, Atlanta and the federal agencies agreed to a plan for the upgrades. While the city already spent $1.5 billion, it will cost an additional nearly $500 million to complete the sewer upgrades.
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