SUD Seeks Solution for Midway Customers -- Low Water Pressure in Community Continues

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

At the Feb. 24 meeting of the Board of Commissioners of the Sewanee Utility District of Franklin and Marion Counties, commissioner Randall Henley again raised the issue of low water pressure in the Midway community. “Midway residents feel like they’re being overlooked because they’re off campus,” Henley said.

Commissioner Ken Smith agreed with Henley’s concern.

Nearly three years ago, SUD set in motion plans to install a pressure boosting station in the Midway community. After repeated efforts to get the necessary easements failed, SUD abandoned the project.

SUD manager Ben Beavers said another remedy would be a water tank. To be effective, the tank would need to be elevated 120 feet, Beavers said.

Relocating the pumping station would be the less costly option, Beavers said, but relocating the site will increase expenses for electric power, tree trimming and tree removal. Beavers will talk with the University about relocating the site to University land. If the University agrees to the project, Beavers will contact Duck River Electric about the cost of supplying electric service to the site. Beavers estimated the cost, excluding power and related relocation expenses, at $36,000.

In regular business, new board member Ronnie Hoosier was sworn in to serve a four-year term as SUD commissioner.

The board elected the following slate of officers to serve in 2015: Karen Singer, president; Art Hanson, vice president; and Ken Smith, secretary.

Forestry professor Scott Torreano updated the board on the trial wetlands slated for construction at the SUD wastewater treatment plant in conjunction with a research project undertaken jointly by the University of the South and the University of Georgia. The University signed the licensing agreement allowing the researchers to conduct the project on SUD property. Beavers will present the document to SUD’s attorney, Don Scholes, for final review. Torreano said the design process is well underway, and he anticipates the contract with the construction firm will be signed in the near future. 

Reporting on the automated meter reading technology recently installed by SUD, Beavers said 20 residential meters were not “communicating” properly, and the receiving unit registered the customers’ use as zero. The customers will receive a revised bill and given a year to make catch-up payments, if needed.

With data adjusted to reflect the residential metering error and a software error resulting in inaccurate reporting for two-inch commercial meters, SUD showed a decrease in unaccounted-for water loss in 2014, Beavers said. Unaccounted-for water loss is the difference between water produced and water registered as passing through customer meters, meaning SUD is not paid for the water. SUD is aggressively pursuing leak detection to further reduce unaccounted-for loss.

The SUD board meets next on March 24.