by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

At the Sept. 10 meeting, Sewanee Utility District manager Ben Beavers updated the SUD Board of Commissioners on American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant projects. The board also heard a report on lake levels and drought conditions and discussed SUD’s difficulty finding an auditor.

Beavers said the time-sensitive lead and copper survey being conducted with ARPA funds was 88 percent complete, with only 202 services remaining to be reviewed. Beavers anticipates the survey will be 100 percent complete by next week, easily in compliance with the federal deadline for completion five weeks away.

A request for proposals for bids is underway for the ARPA funded sewer manhole rehabilitation project. The rehab work will reduce inflow and infiltration (I&I) of ground water into the sewer system. I&I increases costs at the wastewater treatment plant.

The database being created for the ARPA funded Asset Management Plan will include historical data on repairs and the cost allowing for more accurate cost projections on future repair work.

Reporting on lake levels, Beavers said in July Lake O’Donnell was down two feet and Lake Jackson was down three feet. Last week, Lake Jackson was down eight feet. The level in Lake O’Donnell had not significantly decreased since July Beavers explained because SUD pumps from Lake Jackson into Lake O’Donnell. “Lake Jackson is 60 feet deep,” Beavers said. “There’s 40 feet of usable water remaining.” According to Beavers, Monteagle has reinstated water conservation restrictions, but Tracy City and Big Creek water utilities had not.

SUD’s continues to struggle with finding an auditor. “Bean, Rhoton, and Kelley, and Knies accounting firms have turned us down,” said Board President Charlie Smith. “That leaves the MG Group.” Speculating on the reason, Beavers pointed out SUD’s fiscal year was the calendar year, making SUD in competition for accounting services with clientele for individual federal tax preparation. SUD prefers not to engage the same auditing firm for more than five years. Last year was year five for the MG Group. Beavers reviewed the Tennessee State Comptrollers website and learned many local water utilities use a Nashville firm. SUD hopes to find an auditor closer to home. “It needs to be someone familiar with water utilities,” Smith stressed.

Looking ahead, Beavers said the University was considering constructing 12 townhouses, three buildings each with four units. The proposed location in the area of Hawkins Lane, Lake O’Donnell Road, and Highway 41A, would require redoing the aging clay-pipe sewer lines. Another proposed project, a residential development on St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School property, was considering applying for a one-year continuance on the water-sewer feasibility assessment performed by SUD. Smith commented he had heard the project had downsized from the initial projection of 160 units to 80 units.