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November 19, 2009

Commissioner takes Smith Lake water proposal to town council

By Tiffany Green The Cullman Times

WEST POINT — County commissioner Wayne Willingham addressed West Point’s town council Monday evening regarding the county’s proposed Smith Lake water project.

“This is a feasible proposal,” Willingham said.

The county’s plan includes upgrading the treatment facilities at Lake Catoma and constructing a new treatment facility that would pump water from Smith Lake. Included in the proposal is the creation of a regional water board to oversee water distribution in the county. The board would offer $25 million to purchase Lake Catoma and its treatment plant.

“The regulatory water board would be based on the percentage of water usage by each area,” said Dan Willingham attorney for both West Point and the county. “For example, if the county uses 30 percent, they would have 30 percent representation on the board.”

The Smith Lake project is expected to cost at least $80.5 million.

The city’s proposal would create a dam at Duck River, establishing a 640-acre lake and a six-mile pipeline with a 32-million-gallon-per-day capacity. The reservoir would resemble the one at Lake Catoma, currently the county’s sole water source.

“If something happens to the treatment plant, we need another one,” Willingham said.

The new plant would be built near Smith Lake Park. According to Wayne Willingham, pulling 10 million gallons a day out of the lake for two years would effect it only one-half an inch.

“They (city) thinks we are just smoke and mirrors, but we have had two different independent engineering firms look at our numbers,” Wayne Willingham said.

By 2012, regulations for water quality will be tougher, and Willingham said some areas in Cullman County are currently failing.

“Regulation on disinfectant byproducts will be tougher and seven sites now fail,” he said.

He said the failure is due to water sitting in the pipes too long. The water is pumped almost 30 miles from the city. After traveling that far, it may sit in the pipes and build up byproducts, he said.

“The plant here at Smith Lake would eliminate these problems,” Willingham said.

Because 60 percent of Cullman County growth is in the western part of the county, Willingham said it is needed.

“It’s not about politics with me, it’s about getting clean water for everyone in the county,” Willingham said.

“They have been telling us it’s shovel ready, but they haven’t even bought the land yet,” Willingham said.

In other business the council:

*  Heard a good report on the new sanitary sewer system.

*  Announced a job for a permanent person to read the meters as well as do basic maintenance and upkeep around the sewer system access road will soon post.

*  Announced Eckenrod Ford won the bid for the sewer system maintenance truck. The town will pay $21,116 which will be used for upkeep of the sewer system. It was bought with money from the grant for the sewer project.



* Tiffany Green can be reached by e-mail at tgreen@cullmantimes.com or by telephone at 734-2131, ext. 220.

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