The leaders of Baker, Columbia, Hamilton, Suwannee, and Union counties may form a regional utility.
The goal is to consolidate operations for water and wastewater services to be more efficient and reduce expenses. The potential partners think it would also allow them to win more state and federal grant funding and spur economic development in the region.
Columbia County Manager David Kraus says they will apply for grants to study the issue as well as figure out upfront costs.
"We want to do a rural infrastructure plan to come up with the business model," Kraus said. "If we want to do it, what is the business model? Does it financially work?"
Union County Coordinator Jimmy Williams says a regional utility is a good idea… especially for residential wastewater connection.
"Just this past year, they passed that septic tank law that anything one acre or less has to be on an updated system," Williams said. "Developers are going to look to start building half-acre subdivisions closer to where utilities are."
The group plans to meet again in August. A consolidated landfill utility is also a possibility.