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Cole E. Blackwell

Title: General Manager

Contact: (770) 514-5300

NWSA Involvement: Class A Member

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Bio:

 

Education

  • Graduate of Cherokee High School, Cherokee County, Georgia

  • Bachelor of Business Administration – Finance, Kennesaw State University

  • Master of Science – Accounting, Southern Polytechnic State University

 

Certifications

  • Public Water Supply System Operator – Class I, Georgia

  • Certified Public Accountant, Georgia

 

Professional Work History

  • Cherokee County Water & Sewerage Authority - Assistant Drinking Water Treatment Plant Manager (1996 -2002)

  • City of Canton – Accountant and Budget Officer (2002 – 2007)

  • City of Canton – Hickory Log Creek Reservoir, Reservoir Manager (2007 – 2010)

  • Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority – Wyckoff Drinking Water Treatment Division, Assistant Division Manager (2010 – 2012)

  • Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority – Director of Finance, (2012 – 2017)

  • Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority – Director of Operations / Assistant General Manager (2017 – 2021)

  • Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority – General Manager (current)

 

Family

  • Married for 21 years to my beautiful wife, Amanda, with three children, all of whom are now teenagers!

 

Hobbies

  • I love to spend time with my family, travel and am an avid sportsman.

Organizational

Overview:

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Organization Type: Political subdivision of the State of Georgia - Wholesale Potable Water Authority

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Water Supply: Chattahoochee River and Allatoona Lake / Etowah River

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Population Served: 875,000 +

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Water Users: Allatoona Lake – flood control, hydropower (Southeastern Power Administration), recreation, water supply (along with City of Cartersville, GA); Chattahoochee River intake is downstream of Lake Lanier and is release-dependent, but courts have determined no contract for storage in Lake Lanier is required. Hickory Log Creek Reservoir is an impound of Hickory Log Creek and pumped storage from the Etowah River, upstream of Allatoona Lake; this reservoir supplies water to the City of Canton and supplements CCMWA’s storage in Allatoona Lake.

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Total Storage Volume: 13,140 acre-feet in Allatoona Lake and 13,100 acre-feet in Hickory Log Creek Reservoir.

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Key Issues/Challenges: Accurate storage accounting, to include credit for State-granted rights to treated wastewater return flows and “made inflows” from an Authority-owned upstream reservoir; accurate, consistent, and timely billing for contracted storage.

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