Operations » Water Operations » Storage

Storage

Javors J. Lucas Lake

The MWA pumps raw water, withdrawn via its river intake pumping system on the Ocmulgee River, into Javors J. Lucas Lake.  The reservoir also collects surface water runoff within its watershed during and following major rain events.  Javors Lucas Lake is approximately 589 acres in size, capable of holding an estimated 5.8 billion gallons at normal full pool.  The reservoir can supply a raw water reserve of approximately four months, in the event additional raw water cannot be taken from the Ocmulgee River during that time.  The raw water stored in Lucas Lake is pumped via a reservoir pumping station to the Frank C. Amerson, Jr. Water Treatment Plant, where it is treated prior to distribution.

Once the treated drinking water exits the filters of the Amerson Plant, it is stored in one of the four clear wells on site, each with five million gallons of storage capacity.  Water from the clear wells then feeds the finished water pumping station, where two water mains connect the Amerson Plant to the MWA water distribution system.

In total, the MWA has approximately 36.9 million gallons of water in storage.  Of this, 20 million gallons are stored in the four clear wells at the Amerson Plant, while the other 16.9 million gallons are housed in the nine elevated tanks and 10 ground storage tanks owned and operated by the Authority throughout its distribution system within the city of Macon and Bibb County.