HELP SAVE BROAD RIVER!!
1.) DONATE

2.) PUT A SIGN IN YOUR YARD

3.) PRINT FLYERS AND SPREAD THE WORD!

4.) FOLLOW FB FOR UPDATES ON UPCOMING MEETINGS!

The future of Franklin Springs and

our beloved Broad River is at stake.

NO Franklin Springs WWTP, NO 36 acre Chicken Rendering Plant, and NO DESTROYING THE BROAD RIVER with 4MGD of Industrial Waste!

Once lost, it cannot be restored.

Time is running out, and your support

is needed now more than ever.

Sign The Petition

This petition has been growing at a rapid speed and will only continue to grow. I encourage you to read the comments on this petition about the many who love The Broad River.
Please note that any donations made there do not fund this specific cause but towards supporting their platforms technology and infrastructure, as well as empowering people to win their campaigns.
If you want to donate directly to the cause see "Make a Donation"

Join The Movement

Adding your email to this list gives you notifications about any upcoming meetings, or immediate needs of the community for the cause.

Make A Donation

Full transparency of your donations is important to us. Please contact Joe Lawrence for more info!

ORDER A YARD SIGN
STOP THE RENDERING!

SIGN UPDATE

We’ve got “Stop the Rendering” & "Save The Broad" signs available.

It’s time for our voices to be heard—and seen!

Please be patient with us—we’re volunteers and it may take a little while to get to everyone.

Signs can also be picked up at:

Dills Shopping Center beside H&R Block

Hours vary please check back

Join The Broad River Watershed Association

By supporting the BRWA you can help preserve the Broad River as a free-flowing system, promoting safe recreational use, and advocates for the protection of the river's natural resources and wildlife habitat through education and community support.

Become A Savannah River Keeper Member

The Broad River flows into the Savannah River at the Clarks Hill/Strom Thurmond Reservoir.

Savannah Riverkeepers work to ensure the river is swimmable, fishable and drinkable, improving the quality of life for everyone in the region.

Your support is greatly needed and appreciated to protect and improve the health of the Savannah River and its watershed.

What Is Happening:

The City of Franklin Springs and Franklin County signed an intergovernmental agreement for wastewater treatment, with Franklin Springs planning a new, larger treatment plant to handle industrial waste (believed to reach 9MGD). Franklin County BOC said on 4/7 they felt rushed.

The project is estimated to cost more than $30 million

The new plant will have a capacity of up to 4 million gallons per day just for the proposed 36 acre rendering plant and according to the EPD document, more industries are planned for Franklin Springs

(Reference link 4 on Documents tab: The Intergovernmental Agreement)

There are also clear plans regarding a POULTRY RENDERING PLANT

near the headwaters of The Broad River.

(Reference link 7 on Documents tab: EPD)

We are dedicated to protecting the natural beauty and integrity of the Broad River.

Our mission is to RAISE AWARENESS and

promote conservation efforts to ensure a sustainable future for this vital waterway.

Thank you to Grady Newsource for highlighting our community uniting together to protest the WWTP & keeping industrial waste out of the Broad River

Thank you to "BackTalk Live" with HTC hosted by Tom Hardigree and to Mary Elizabeth McGarity for sharing all of this with the clarity the community has been pleading for.

Franklin County IBA meeting minutes can be found here.

If you missed the IBA meeting on April 2nd you can view it here.

Important Questions To Ask:

How Big Would The Rendering Plant Be?

It is projected to be 4 times the size of the Douglas, Ga location. That location is 360,000 square feet. So that would mean this plant would be 1,440,000 square feet. Douglas: 9 acres Franklin Springs: 36 acres

For reference:
Franklin Springs is 2.1 square miles, Douglas Ga is 14 square miles.

How much water would the Wastewater Treatment Plant discharge daily?

Currently Franklin Springs discharges 0.3MGD (millions of gallons per day). If the plant is put into place it would discharge 4MGD (millions of gallons per day).

For perspective 4MGD would be the same as 6.06 Olympic Sized Swimming Pools a DAY. The pools are 50 meters long, 25 meters wide, and 2 meters deep. They hold 660,000 gallons each. It is believed that the bridge being redone is to withstand not only the trucks moving back and forth but also the loads of water coming down the river.

It is expected there would be roughly 2-3 trucks per hour coming and going from the plant. That's roughly 72 trucks a day. Likely more.

What risks do rendering plants and large wastewater treatment plants present to the community?

Environmental Risks:
- Water Pollution: Rendering plants generate significant amounts of fats, oils, and greases (FOGs) in their wastewater, which can harm water quality and aquatic life if not properly treated.
- Dissolved Salts: Wastewater from rendering plants can contain high concentrations of dissolved salts, some of which are toxic to aquatic life.
- Odor Emissions: Rendering processes, especially cooking and drying, can produce strong and unpleasant odors.
- Slaughterhouses: Wastewater from slaughterhouses, a type of rendering plant, can contain high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus, contributing to toxic algal blooms and dead zones.
Health Risks:
- Exposure to Harmful Microorganisms: Contact with wastewater or its products can expose people to harmful microorganisms that can cause illnesses.
- Exposure to Chemicals: Certain chemicals used in rendering processes or present in wastewater can pose health risks.
Other Considerations:
- Location: The location of rendering plants can impact the surrounding environment and communities.
- Waste Management: Proper disposal of rendering plant waste is crucial to prevent environmental contamination.

How can I get involved in the efforts to protect the Broad River?

Please revisit our site often as the updates change as information changes. Attending BOC meetings in your town and raising concerns all over the US about preserving water quality. Call ALL government officals before this happens all over the US!

1.) Help grow our TikTok following so we can go live

2.) Click join the email list for updated needs from the community, this is VERY important to getting momentum and joining together.

3.) Donate to the cause

4.) Print the flyer and pass out to your community!

What are forever chemicals and do large wastewater treatment plants result in this?

Mayor Lee Moore mentioned that "all water will be put back in the river but will be treated water you can drink" However, he seemed unaware of the terms "forever chemicals". This should raise the concern that he has agreed to bring such a large impact and yet seems to not be fully informed of the impacts. (Reference: IBA meeting April 2, 2025)

Wastewater treatment plants can release per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), or "forever chemicals" into rivers, as these chemicals are not typically removed during standard wastewater treatment processes.

Exposure to PFAS has been linked to various health problems, including developmental effects, increased risk of certain cancers, reduced immune response, and thyroid disorders.

Industrial facilities that produce or use these products often discharge PFAS-containing wastewater to municipal sewage treatment plants.

Standard wastewater treatment processes are not designed to effectively remove PFAS. As a result, the treated wastewater released into rivers and streams can still contain high levels of these chemicals

Who To Contact To Have Your Voice Heard