THE HISTORY OF CEW&SA:
The Authority is a public corporation incorporated and existing under the provisions of the Enabling Law. The Authority was incorporated in 1973 pursuant to resolution and authorization granted by the governing body of Elmore County, Alabama under the name Red Land Water and Fire Protection Authority. Pursuant to an Agreement dated June 1, 1988, the operations of the Authority and Wallsboro-Santuck Water and Fire Protection Authority, and the water transmission and distribution operations of Elmore County, Alabama, were merged into a single unified system. The Certificate of Incorporation was amended as a part of that Agreement to expand the Authority's service area. The Authority does not operate in any area which was incorporated at the time the Authority installed its facilities. On July 29, 1999, the Authority's Certificate of Incorporation was further amended to authorize the Authority to provide sewer services and to change the Authority's name to Central Elmore Water & Sewer Authority. Under its Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, the Authority has the powers, among others, to acquire, construct, improve, operate and maintain a water system within its legally described service area.
The Authority was constructed using proceeds of loans from Farmers Home Administration of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Outstanding Bonds, customer contributions, and grants from various federal, state and county sources.
The Authority maintains and operates a 12 million gallons per day surface water treatment plant at our primary water source on Lake Martin. The plant is staffed 24/7. The Authority's present service area encompasses approximately 350 square miles of what is essentially a rural and recreational area within the 657 square miles of Elmore County, Alabama, with a service area population (residential and seasonal) estimated by the Authority to be approximately 63,243. The Authority serves potable water to 13,238 active residential meters inside this service area making us one of the largest rural water systems in the state. The distribution lines of the Authority comprise approximately 780 miles of mains which are primarily PVC. The Authority owns and maintains 12 primary water storage tanks having an aggregate capacity of 7.7 million gallons.
The expanse of the System is contained in the following boundaries: to the North Coosa/Elmore County line; to the South, Montgomery/Elmore County line; to the East, Tallapoosa/Elmore County line; and to the West, Lake Jordan/City of Wetumpka. Inside this large area, three (3) smaller systems operate within the confines of either city limits or jurisdictional service areas. These three (3) systems are Eclectic Water Works and Sewer Department, Wetumpka Water Works and Sewer Board and the Friendship Water Works. The Authority sells water to these three (3) systems and the Rockford Utilities Board in Coosa County.
