Heard County Water Authority Inc

What Heard County Water Authority Inc does

Heard County Water Authority Inc (HCWA) is a quasi-governmental independent water and wastewater utility created by an act of the Georgia General Assembly on February 6, 1984 (House Bill No. 1501) and originally named the Franklin-Heard County Water Authority before being renamed in 1989. The Authority operates the Steve Lipford Water Treatment Plant — originally completed at 1 MGD in 1988, expanded to 3 MGD in 1993, and upgraded to 4 MGD in 2023 through a $7.3 million rehabilitation project — which treats surface water drawn from Centralhatchee Creek using EPD-approved packaged modular treatment equipment. Treatment output is distributed through more than 120 miles of water mains with services and fire hydrants across four Heard County communities: Franklin, Glenn, Centralhatchee, and Corinth.

The Authority is governed by a five-member Board (two appointed by Heard County, two by the City of Franklin, and one at-large) with staggered four-year terms, and operates four internal departments — Administration, Distribution, Waterplant, and Wastewater — under Executive Director Beth Cantrell (appointed 2024). HCWA delivers potable water service, fire protection, and wastewater collection/treatment to approximately 1,800+ families plus commercial and agricultural customers within its franchised service area, with raw water storage reservoir capacity supporting drought resilience.

Revenue is generated primarily through usage-based volumetric water and sewer charges (e.g., residential water at $9.65–$11.89 per 1,000 gallons by tier, residential sewer at $10.15 per 1,000 gallons) supplemented by meter-size-based monthly base charges, one-time new account deposits ($50–$200 depending on owner/renter and water/sewer combination), sewer tap fees (4-inch residential at $1,200), and a $2.50 transaction fee on all credit/debit card payments processed through the MyHCWA online portal (powered by Edmunds Associates' WIPP platform). Distribution is exclusively direct-to-customer through owned pipeline infrastructure, with no adjacent geographic footprint or product-line expansion signaled.

Name

Heard County Water Authority Inc

Legal name

Heard County Water Authority

Website

https://myhcwa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Heard County Water Authority Inc is a quasi-governmental independent water and wastewater utility serving approximately 1,800+ families and businesses across four communities in Heard County, Georgia, through a 4 MGD treatment plant and 120+ miles of distribution mains.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Water and Wastewater Utility Services

NAICS

Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131), Sewage Treatment Facilities (221320)

SIC

Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration (BPAIACAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Source Water Intake & Pretreatment (Screens, Pre-oxidation, Algae/Cyanotoxin Control) (EUANABAI), Watershed/Source Water & Raw Water Quality Monitoring (intakes, reservoirs, groundwater) (EUANAJAH)

Keywords

• Water utility services
• Wastewater treatment
• Municipal water supply
• Potable water distribution
• Sewer utility services

Headquarters

HQ city

Franklin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Water Service: Volumetric water service charges based on meter size (base charges) plus consumption-based volumetric rates per thousand gallons. Residential tiers: 0-3,000 gallons ($9.65), 3,001-6,000 gallons ($11.09), 6,001+ gallons ($11.89). Commercial flat rate $10.15 per thousand gallons. Agricultural rate $9.90 per thousand gallons.
2. Sewer Service: Wastewater collection and treatment services with base charges by meter size and volumetric rates. Residential: $10.15 per thousand gallons for all usage tiers. Commercial: $10.80 per thousand gallons.
3. Service Deposits and Administration Fees: New account setup fees including deposits (owner $50-100, renter $150-200 depending on services) plus $50 non-refundable administration fee. Tap fees for new service connections including $50 non-refundable admin fee.
4. Credit Card Processing Fee: $2.50 service charge assessed on all debit/credit card payments including online, telephone, and in-office transactions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Heard County Water Authority treats and distributes potable drinking water and provides wastewater collection and treatment to residential, commercial, and agricultural customers in Heard County, Georgia. Services are delivered through the Steve Lipford Water Treatment Plant (4 MGD capacity) and over 120 miles of owned distribution mains serving 1,800+ families across four communities. Customer billing, new service applications, and ongoing account administration are managed in-house, with online bill pay available via the MyHCWA portal.

Product overview

Heard County Water Authority Inc operates as a municipal water and sewer utility providing essential water and wastewater services to Heard County, Georgia. The company operates as a single, unified utility with distinct departments (Administration, Distribution, Waterplant, and Wastewater). Core offerings include drinking water treatment and distribution via the Steve Lipford Water Treatment Plant (4 MGD capacity) and wastewater collection/treatment. Ancillary services include the MyHCWA online bill pay portal for customer convenience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Water Distribution Service Treated drinking water distribution to residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural customers across Heard County, including Franklin, Glenn, Centralhatchee, and Corinth. Service is delivered through over 100 miles of water mains and the 4 MGD Steve Lipford Water Treatment Plant.
• Sewer / Wastewater Service Wastewater collection and treatment from residential and commercial customers, managed by the Wastewater department (Darrell Brice, Wastewater Manager). Sewer tap fees apply for new connections.
• Steve Lipford Water Treatment Plant (4 MGD) Treated water production facility supplying the Heard County distribution system. Uses EPD Approved Packaged Modular Water Treatment Equipment with surface water sourced from Centralhatchee Creek and a raw water reservoir for dry weather supply reliability.
• MyHCWA Online Bill Pay Self-service online portal for customers to pay water and sewer bills using credit/debit cards. Requires account number and associated phone number to access. A $2.50 service charge applies to all card payments.

Quantifiable outcome

• 120+ miles of water mains with fire hydrants constructed in under 3 years (1986-1990)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• American Water Works Company: Largest publicly traded US water and wastewater utility (NYSE: AWK). Provides scale benchmarking for regulated water utility operating models, rate-base economics, and infrastructure modernization programs applicable to any investor-owned or authority-style water system.
• Essential Utilities: Multi-state regulated water and natural gas utility (NYSE: WTRG) with significant regulated water operations across the eastern US. Relevant for rate-base, capex, and operating benchmarks against HCWA's regulated-utility model.
• Utility Inc. Private US water and wastewater utility operating regulated systems across multiple states. Useful as a peer for privately-held, multi-site water utility operations comparable in governance logic to HCWA's independent authority model.
• Consolidated Water Co. NASDAQ-listed water utility with regulated and non-regulated operations. Provides a publicly traded benchmark for rate-base valuation, infrastructure investment metrics, and water utility operating margins.

Direct peers

• Fayette County Water System: County-administered water system serving Fayette County, Georgia with surface water treatment, distribution mains, and tiered residential rates. Closely comparable in function and regional regulatory environment.
• Troup County Water Works: County-level water utility in west Georgia providing surface water treatment and distribution to residential, commercial, and industrial customers within the same labor and regulatory market as HCWA.
• Coweta County Water & Sewerage Authority: County-level water and sewerage authority serving Coweta County, Georgia, with a similar mix of residential, commercial, and industrial customers and quasi-governmental governance. Most directly comparable in scale, geography, and operating model to HCWA.
• Carroll County Water Authority: Neighboring west Georgia county water authority operating a treatment and distribution system with tiered residential and commercial rates. Shares regulatory jurisdiction with HCWA under Georgia EPD.
• Bartow County Water Department: Northwest Georgia county water utility operating treatment facilities and distribution mains serving a mixed residential/commercial/industrial base comparable to HCWA's customer mix.
• Paulding County Water System: Paulding County, Georgia's water utility operates a treatment plant and distribution network serving similar suburban-rural customer profiles within the same west Georgia / metro Atlanta orbit.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heard-county-water-authority

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Heard County Water Authority Inc