PEARSON, Ga. (WALB) - Leaders from the city, county, and state came together in Pearson to address ongoing water concerns that have left families uneasy for months.

The meeting offered hope for residents like Jason Joyner, who has lived in Pearson for 50 years.

“It makes me feel really good,” Joyner said. “We’ve got our citizens, we’ve got our school system, and we’ve got our children. This is going to benefit the city and the county altogether, and it will make sure we have a great system.”

The meeting could mark the first concrete step toward resolving issues that go beyond contaminated water, including restoring trust in local leadership and ensuring long-term solutions for Pearson.

Several agencies and school officials joined the discussion, including Atkinson County Commission Chairman Parker Liles, State Rep. James Burchett, State Sen. Russ Goodman, Pearson City Councilman John Moore, and Mayor Pro Tem Tony Williams.

Officials acknowledged that Pearson’s sewer and water systems face longstanding maintenance backlogs. Investigations revealed major problems, including broken pump stations, wells in disrepair, and costly fixes needed at the water plant.

State leaders say they have a plan to address the crisis. Funding is available at the state level, but because the City of Pearson is behind on audits dating back to 2021, it is ineligible to receive money directly. The solution, Burchett and Goodman explained, is for the city to temporarily sign over operational control of its water and sewer systems to Atkinson County.

“We have identified some funds we can utilize to help fix the problem from the state perspective,” Burchett said. “The problem is that currently we cannot extend those to the city because the city does not have up-to-date audits.”

Chairman Liles admitted there will be challenges if the county assumes control, but said serving residents has to come first.

“It’s going to be a liability for us to get this situated, but we will be getting help from GMA and other sources as well,” Liles said. “We just want to help the citizens of Pearson. They are my citizens as well. We want to provide them with the services they deserve to have.”

Pearson City Councilman John Moore said local leaders are still weighing the proposal carefully.

“We’re considering it now, and I’m pretty much going to talk to my colleagues along with the mayor pro tem and we’re going to try to come this way because this is much needed for this community,” Moore said.

Still, some doubts remain. The plan requires Pearson leaders to give up direct control of their system, something that could test trust between the city and county. State leaders compared the situation to a car stuck on train tracks, saying the danger is there but the city must take action to move.

Burchett acknowledged that this step is the only way forward.

“We’re doing everything we can. We’ve pulled every string we can to ensure that we have some resources coming down this way. We just need a little bit of help out of the city to sign an agreement to turn over the system to the county. If they do that, then we can get help here,” he said.

Pearson city officials are expected to vote on the proposal Thursday — a decision that residents say could mark the beginning of real change.

Previous Coverage:

• Atkinson County Schools cancel classes Friday amid ongoing water safety concerns
• City of Pearson water sample results are in
• Boil water advisory issued for City of Pearson following water line issue

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