The DeKalb Utility District was recognized Thursday by the Smithville-DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce for two milestones, it’s golden anniversary and for the recent launch of the new water treatment plant.
The Chamber held a ribbon cutting for the new facility located at 300 Yulanda Hills Road and presented a Milestone Award to the DUD celebrating 50 Years.
Members of the DUD Board were on hand for the occasion including Chairman Roger Turney, Danny Bass, Jimmy Womack, and Joe Foutch, Board member Hugh Washer was absent. Others at the ribbon cutting in addition to Chamber Director Suzanne Williams and President Isaac Gray were DUD Manager Jon Foutch, DUD attorney Keith Blair, and DUD water plant operator Andy Jacobs.
For the first time in its 50 year history, the DUD is now producing water on its own for the 5,300 customers it serves in either all or portions of DeKalb, Smith, Cannon, and Wilson counties.
DUD, which had been buying water from Smithville for many years, officially cut ties with the city in June.
The 2.0 million gallon per day water treatment plant (all under one roof) is the centerpiece of the project which also includes a new raw water intake structure and pump station on the Holmes Creek Embayment of the lake, an 18-inch diameter raw water transmission line from the pump station to the water plant, an 18-inch diameter finished water transmission line along Holmes Creek Road, Allen’s Ferry Road, and U.S. Highway 70; and new 8-inch diameter water distribution lines along Dry Creek Road, Game Ridge Road, Turner Road, Willis McGinnis Road, and Sparta Highway (Highway to Midway).
DUD Manager Jon Foutch said the plant is built for future expansion if the need should arise. “We are permitted through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to pull 2.0 million gallons per day. Our plant can treat up to 3.0 million gallons per day. Currently, our average use is between 900,000 and 1.0 million gallons per day,” he said.
The project was funded at $16-million dollars however the DUD has not spent its total allocation.
Fund sources for the project included $5 million in loans at 2.75% interest over 38 years and $1.25 million in grants from USDA Rural Development. The utility was also approved for $500,000 in grant funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission; two loans through the State Revolving Fund Loan programs in amounts of $2 million and $7 million at .6% interest over 20 years; and a $500,000 forgiveness (grant) from the State Revolving Fund Program.
In October, 2014 the DUD awarded bids on the project. W&O Construction Company, Inc. of Livingston got the bid to build the water plant at $6.9 million. Judy Construction Company of Cynthiana, Kentucky performed construction on the raw water intake at $4.1 million and Hawkins and Price, LLC of Wartrace, Tennessee was awarded the bid for construction of the 18 inch Raw and Finished Water Transmission Lines at $1.8 million.
The original project cost was estimated to be $12-million dollars. To cover the additional costs, the DUD requested and was approved for a $4,000,000 loan increase to the Drinking Water Fund loan. (part of the funding package as referred to above)
The new DUD water treatment plant has two full time certified operators. In addition to Foutch, the General Manager, the DUD is staffed by five employees who answer service calls and maintain the distribution lines, three office employees, and an office manager. The utility is overseen by a five member board of directors including Roger Turney of Cannon County, who is the Board Chairman; Danny Bass of Smith County, and Joe Foutch, Hugh Washer, and Jimmy Womack of DeKalb County.
The DeKalb Utility District currently maintains more than 400 miles of main water lines in its four county service area.
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