The $4.27 billion investment will be the largest in county’s history
Decatur, Georgia—The new DeKalb County CEO, Lorraine Cochran-Johnson, is not the new kid on the block. While only serving 60 days in her position as DeKalb County’s newly elected leader, she is already making an impact within the community in her new position. After spending several years as the commissioner of the Super District 7, CEO Cochran-Johnson is bringing a lot of experience to the table, not only as a public servant but also with 20+ years of residency as a DeKalb County resident.
Now in her new role as the first Black woman to be in the position of DeKalb County CEO, CEO Cochran-Johnson is addressing one of the county’s biggest issues, infrastructure. Working with the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners, CEO Cochran-Johnson has secured the county’s largest infrastructure investment at an amount of $4.27 billion.
CEO Cochran-Johnson and the board have conceived a “10×10” plan that consists of “10% annual rate increase over the next 10 years, generating the financial stability needed to fund essential repairs, upgrade critical infrastructure, and ensure compliance with state and federal environmental mandates.”
A DeKalb County press release notes that the investment in the county’s infrastructure will address the following investments:
1. Ensure Reliable Water Access: Upgrading and expanding the county’s single water source and treatment plant, which has not seen major improvements in over 15 years.
2. Enhance Economic Development: Creating the infrastructure capacity needed to attract businesses, protect property values, and support job growth—over 6,400 new jobs are expected from this initiative alone.
3. Prevent System Failures: DeKalb’s water system is at risk of catastrophic failures, with over 40% of the system aging beyond 70 years by 2030. Without action, residents and businesses face increased outages, contamination risks, and emergency repair costs.
4. Meet Compliance Standards: Addressing regulatory mandates under the Modified Consent Decree (MCD) to avoid costly penalties and improve water quality.
“The future of DeKalb County depends on adequate infrastructure investments, and today, the Board of Commissioners approved the largest commitment in our history to ensure clean, reliable water and sewer services for generations to come,” said CEO Cochran-Johnson. “No one likes rate increases, but the cost of inaction is far greater. Our economic future, our ability to attract businesses, and the well-being of every resident depend on these upgrades.”
Reggie Wells Appointed as Director of Watershed Management
CEO Cochran-Johnson has named former Assistant Commissioner of the Atlanta Department of Watershed Management, Reggie Wells, as the new Director of Watershed Management. Wells served underneath former City of Atlanta mayor Shirley Franklin, handling consent decree modifications, and also assisted DeKalb County with its consent decree modifications.