by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

When Emerald Hodgson Hospital failed to respond to a notice they neglected to test their backflow prevention devices, SUD policy called for cutting off their water. “I couldn’t do it,” SUD manager Ben Beavers told the board of commissioners at the Aug. 20 meeting, providing background on the Director’s Order and notification of a fine recently received from Tennessee Department for Environment and Conservation (TDEC). The order stated: “Respondent failed to follow its approved cross connection control plan. Test reports for four backflow prevention devices were missing.” As a result of the order and fine, SUD is considering a more stringent cross-connection policy. The policy applies to all customers with backflow prevention devices to prevent contaminants from entering the drinking water supply.

The order also cited SUD for two minor violations: failure to give a step-by-step account of the disinfection process during a line repair and failure to record chlorine residue when installing new taps. TDEC fined SUD $14,690, with $2,938 due now and the remainder forgiven if SUD complies with the directives given in the order.

Beavers proposed a new policy stipulating if a customer failed to test a backflow prevention devices, SUD would test the device and charge the customer $500. “The cost needs to be high enough to get their attention,” Beavers said. “The policy should also state they need to reimburse SUD for the penalty,” SUD President Charlie Smith suggested. “Otherwise, the rate payers pay it.” “I’ll have to ask [SUD’s attorney] if we can pass on the penalty,” Beavers said. Beavers will consult SUD’s attorney Don Scholes and draft a policy revision for the board to review.

Looking ahead to the 2025 budget, the board also considered charging customers with irrigation meters and customers with grinder pumps a monthly base fee and increasing the fee for installing a new tap.

Beavers pointed out SUD read irrigation meters every month even though the meters typically only registered usage a few months out of the year. “I think we should have some means to recover the cost of checking the meters,” Beavers said. SUD charges $5 per month for dry taps not in use.

Suggesting a monthly fee for the 200 customers with grinder pumps, Beavers explained the pumps had an eight-year lifespan and SUD paid for replacing them. Grinder pumps cost $2,000 each. The cost for replacing the pumps was passed on to all customers, whether they had a grinder pump or not. Beavers proposed an $8 monthly fee for customers with grinder pumps, yielding $1,600 in revenue annually, almost enough to pay for one pump.

Beavers also proposed increasing the fee for installing a new tap. The fee had not increased since 2008, Beavers said, but SUD’s cost for installing a tap had increased by approximately $1,000. “It would require a rate study to justify the increase,” Beavers said. “It’s probably due.” SUD has not done a rate study since 2008. “Increasing the tap fee is consistent with our growth-pays-for-growth model,” Smith said. Postponing the tap fee increase until a rate study was done will mean the tap fee increase cannot be included in this year’s budget.

Updating the board on the transition to the new billing software, Beavers said one customer’s address had been inaccurately ported into the new system. He asked customers to phone the office (931) 598-5611 to verify their contact information.

Next month the SUD board will meet on Sept. 10, a week earlier than usual.