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October 15, 2007

Department proceeding with TVA plan

By Karen Williamson

With the city and many county water customers under a mandatory water conservation plan, the county is proceeding with its plan to obtain up to 30 million gallons of water a day from the Tennessee Valley Authority for drinking water, according to Cullman County Water Department Manager David Bussman.

Since Cullman County, Vinemont-Antioch-Westpoint, East Cullman, Johnson’s Crossing, Walter, Garden City and Hanceville water departments purchase water from the city of Cullman, so those customers must also follow the conservation plan.

Residents and businesses with odd-numbered addresses can water on Monday and Thursday. Those with even-numbered addresses on Tuesday and Friday.

Well users are exempt from restrictions since wells are fairly shallow, said Bussman.

Cullman County Commissioners gave Bussman permission to purchase 25 acres on the Tennessee River last December.

“To apply with the TVA, you have to own land on the Tennessee River, so we had to buy it before we could ever file a permit,” he said.

After filing for a permit, the TVA sent a request for drawings and additional information. It specifically wants drawings of the pipeline route and intake elevations meaning “the pipe that is going to be out in the Tennessee River,” he said.

“Once we get the permit, then Cullman County can build an intake on the Tennessee River,” he said. “It’s just a matter of getting financing to bring it all the way here.”

The county plans to build the intake on the Tennessee River because it will guarantee the eventual withdrawal of water, according to TVA rules.

If financing is not available, the county can postpone building the pipeline until it can obtain the funds.

The estimated cost to pipe water from the Tennessee River to Cullman is about $117 million. Bussman is hopeful he can raise half the money in federal and state grants.

There is always money available for projects such as this, he said.

He was hesitant to cite figures because the Duck River Dam project estimates were $39 million when the project was first conceived in the mid-1990s, but today the cost would be closer to $80 million, said Bussman.

The city and county were hoping to dam the Duck River near the town of Holly Pond and build a reservoir, but local river groups filed a second suit Sept. 5 against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers halting the project for a second time citing environmental concerns.

Bussman said at a Sept. 11 County Commission meeting he personally does not think the Duck River project is a solution to the county’s water woes.

Bussman said he has also been talking to the Blount County Water Authority about purchasing water from a spring it uses as a water source.

“That option is out there. I think the permit only allowed them $1.5 million gallons a day,” he said.

He said Blount County has an abundance of water in the northern part of the county but was suffering a shortage in the southern portion of the county.

“We are talking with them about maybe getting some water from them,” he said.

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