Four local water authority representatives signed contracts Tuesday to join with the city of Cullman’s Duck River dam reservoir project.

The chairmen of the Walter, East Cullman and Johnson’s Crossing Water Authorities as well as the superintendent of the city of Cullman’s water department, each signed contracts to move ahead with the proposed second water source. A representative from the Vinemont, Anon and West Point (VAW) Water Authority — the city’s other major water customer besides the Cullman County Commission — was not present.

“Their contract is somewhat different since they are a private water system,” said Cullman Mayor Max Townson. “We are drawing a contract up for them.”

The city of Cullman sells water to the above listed water systems as well as the county commission, through the area’s sole water source, Lake Catoma.

“We have been satisfied with the treatment we’ve had and I think this (Duck River) will continue that,” said Leon Creel, chairman of the East Cullman Water Board.

Cullman City Water Department Superintendent Junior Heaton said the city has always a good working relationship with the other local water authorities.

“We’ve got some good wholesale customers and I appreciate every one of them,” Heaton said.

The contracts were signed a day after Townson stated the city would not be considering the Cullman County Commission’s opposing plan to pump water from Smith Lake, which Commissioners Doug Williams and Wayne Willingham proposed last week.

“We are going forward with Duck River,” Townson said. “We are looking forward to the Cullman County water system coming on board.”

Williams and Willingham, who were out of town Tuesday, provided The Cullman Times with a prepared statement regarding the city’s decision on the Smith Lake proposal, through their public relations representative, Stacy Smith of Strategic Public Relations.

“When county commissioners presented a water supply and treatment proposal to Mayor Townson on Oct. 26, he agreed to look it over for three weeks and ask questions of the county during that time and then agreed to meet again on November 16. Since that time, Mayor Townson canceled an Oct. 30 meeting between the city accountant and the county administrator to discuss financing the water supply & treatment proposal ... and now refuses to have sincere discussions with the County on a thorough water treatment plan,” Williams and Willingham stated in the press release.

“The county is struggling with water quality issues right now from the water the city is providing. The county has water treatment needs that the city has not met; is concerned that the city will not be able to meet; and, apparently refuses to consider.”

In the press release, Townson’s name was misspelled multiple times as Townsend.

In a previous article, Williams said water pumped from Lake Catoma to the southern part of the county, due to the distance of travel, has a tendency to build up contaminants and would not meet new federal water quality guidelines slated to take effect in 2012.

The commissioners did not state if they would stick with their plan or go along with the Duck River option.

County Commission Chairman James Graves said he was not a part of the Smith Lake proposal and it would be up to his fellow commissioners to decide whether to continue pushing that project or sign on with the Duck River plan.

“Until I sit down with them, I can’t give you an answer,” Graves said. “But it’s out of my hands. They are the ones who have the votes.”

The city has given the commission until Nov. 23 to decide whether or not to sign the Duck River contract.

“If they don’t sign, we’ll go out and look for other customers, like Blount County,” Townson said.

The city’s proposed dam on Duck River would create 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. The project is expected to generate as many as 1,000 jobs.

The county has proposed 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 a regional water board to oversee water distribution in the county.

“The thing that worries me about Smith Lake is all the people who have homes on the lake already complain about water levels dropping ... if they (county) starts drawing water, they’ll complain even more,” said C.J. Burney, chairman of the Johnson’s Crossing water board. “And there has been a more thorough study done on Duck River by the (Alabama) Corps of Engineers.”

Townson said the Duck River project would guarantee drought protection for the whole county for many years to come.

“In the late 60s, the city government turned a dream into a reality by building Lake Catoma,” Townson said. “That reality has allowed Cullman to become number one in agriculture and to bring in industry. Cullman County would not be what it is today were it not for the creation of that lake and we believe the creation of Duck River will allow the citizens of Cullman County to flourish for generations to come.”



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

 

The Following is the complete unedited press release emailed to The Cullman Times from Stacy Smith on behalf of the Cullman County Water Department



COMMENT FROM COMMISSIONERS DOUG WILLIAMS AND WAYNE WILLINGHAM:

November 3, 2009

Regarding Mayor Townsend's Refusal to Negotiate County Water Treatment Needs

 

We have read today's Cullman Times article titled "City to move ahead with Duck River Project". However, Mayor Townsend has not notified the County that he has dismissed the County's proposal.

 

When County Commissioners presented a Water Supply & Treatment Proposal to Mayor Townsend on October 26, he agreed to look it over for three (3) weeks and ask questions of the County during that time and then agreed to meet again on November 16.  Since that time, Mayor Townsend cancelled an October 30 meeting between the City accountant and the County administrator to discuss financing the water supply & treatment proposal; never signed a contract with Steve Cawood to facilitate negotiations (the Cullman Times newspaper had a significant error on Sunday's front page headline..."now they hired a mediator"); and, now refuses to have sincere discussions with the County on a thorough water treatment plan.  This is unfortunate that Mayor Townsend refuses to try to work together with the County.

 

The County is struggling with water quality issues right now from the water the City is providing.  The County has water treatment needs that the City has not met; is concerned that the City will not be able to meet; and, apparently refuses to consider.

___________

Stacy Smith, APR

on behalf of the Cullman County Water Department

Strategic Public Relations