CULLMAN — During the last few months, the city of Cullman and the Cullman County Commission have been at odds over options for a second water source for the area. The Alabama Army Corps of Engineers referenced more than a decade’s worth of studies, which supported the city’s plan, during a special community meeting Thursday.

The two commissioners not convinced of the city’s plan, however, did not attend.

Chairman James Graves was the only county commissioner who attended a community meeting at Cullman City Hall in which the corps of engineers stated the estimated $63.2 million Duck River Dam water reservoir project was the best option for a second water source in the area. Graves has asserted since his election last year that he supports the Duck River Dam project, which is backed by the city.

Also in attendance at the meeting were several county employees, as well as city officials, wholesale water customers and Rep. James Fields and Sen. Zeb Little.

In a phone interview, Commissioner Doug Williams said he was on a conference call with the mass fatality planning group for the Alabama Department of Public Health and could not attend the meeting.

“I hate that I couldn’t be there,” Williams said. “But we’re right in the middle of this possible swine flu pandemic, so I thought it was important to attend this meeting.”

Commissioner Wayne Willingham said he could not attend because he was at a commissioner’s class in Montgomery all day.

“I was finishing up my advanced degree in my commission education class,” Willingham said. “It had been scheduled a couple months ago and the money had already been paid for ... I didn’t want to waste it.”

Willingham and Williams have stated in previous articles that they are still looking at other alternatives for a second water source, including Smith Lake.

“We’re still working on some alternatives,” Williams said.

Willingham added that Smith Lake was still in the mix of options under discussion.

“We’re just trying to make the best decision for everybody,” Willingham said. “We’ll have something here soon.”

The city has given the commission until Nov. 23 to decide on whether or not to sign a contract for the Duck River Dam project.

At the meeting, Linda Adcock of the corps of engineers discussed the different alternatives examined over the years, including the Tennessee River and Smith Lake.

“The Tennessee River needed 30 miles of large pipeline ... that plan dropped out because of the cost,” Adcock said.

She added that Smith Lake was the best of the alternatives, but it was still not as viable an option as the Duck River plan.

“The Smith Lake pipeline, it had a higher initial cost than Duck River,” she said. “And the operation and maintenance costs would be about double of Duck River. We’ve done quite a bit of investigation and we’re confident this (Duck River) is going to be a good site.”

Mike Wilson of the army corps of engineers said Congress had already appropriated $5 million to Cullman for a second water source, but added that to obtain more funds, it would be helpful if the city and county were united.

“Congress likes to move out with a solid sponsor,” Wilson said. “And this is a regional project ... Congress likes regional projects. This has a lot of opportunity to receive a favorable review.”

Williams agreed that a united front would be best when applying for federal funds. However, he said there was no guarantee any funds would be appropriated for a second water source.

“We have to look at it from the opinion that we’ll have to pay for this out of pocket,” Williams said. “We’re hoping to get some federal grant money, but federal dollars, that’s a hope and a prayer. There is no promise of that.”

The Duck River project calls for the creation of 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. The project is expected to generate as many as 1,000 jobs.

The city estimates the cost of the project would increase wholesale water rates from the current $1.73 per thousand gallons to $2.62 per thousand gallons.

Officials have been working on a plan for an alternative water source for years, though the issue didn’t receive major attention until the 2007 drought, when Lake Catoma, currently the county’s only water source, dropped 25 feet below full pool.

The project was first stalled by a lawsuit in 2003, when federal judge Karon Bowdre determined the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers “did not take a hard look at the cumulative effects of other proposed projects in the Black Warrior River Basin, the future water quality of the proposed reservoir, and the effect the proposed dam will have on the Mulberry Fork of the Black Warrior River.”

In the past few years, the city of Cullman and the Corps worked to meet those concerns.

The 2007 lawsuit was filed by the Alabama Rivers Alliance over concerns of the project’s possible impact on the community, quality of life and its possible impairment of the flow downstream.

* Patrick McCreless can be reached by e-mail at patrickm@cullmantimes.com or by telephone at 734-2131 ext. 270.