by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

“The cost wasn’t as high as I expected,” Sewanee Utility District manager Ben Beavers reported to the SUD Board of Commissioners at the Aug. 19 meeting, explaining his decision to authorize purchase of new software. The cost fell below the $10,000 discretionary fund limit for purchases, so did not require board approval. In discussion about extending the wetlands project until Aug. 30, 2028, the board decided to have SUD attorney Don Scholes review the contract.

The meter reading software SUD currently uses is no longer supported by Itron, the manufacturer of the meter reading equipment. At the July meeting, Beavers speculated the software upgrade would require a new computer as well, but he has since learned that was not the case. Beavers anticipates the projected training cost will be half the $10,000 quote, bringing the total cost for the upgrade to less than $9,000. The annual subscription fee for the software, $4,000, will come from the operating budget. “Possibly on the horizon is upgrading the radio [that reads the meters] and the computer,” Beavers said. “That will be next year’s budget at the earliest.”

The trial constructed wetlands, a research project undertaken jointly by the University of the South and the University of Georgia in 2015, studies wetlands’ effectiveness in cleaning wastewater. Data collected monthly from July 2022 through June 2024 demonstrated significantly lower concentrations of total nitrogen and phosphorus. In a report to the board, Sewanee biology professor Deb McGrath explained the researchers wanted to extend the 10-year contract “To determine if the patterns in N and P removal that we see from data collected during the 2022-2024 study are maintained over time.” If the contract is extended, the researchers plan to resume monthly sampling from June 2026 through May 2028.

“The one thing that seems to be missing from the research is there is nothing that extrapolates the size of a wetland to some output of treatment,” commented Board President Charlie Smith.

“The size of the wetlands was designed primarily for the size that Coca Cola was interested in,” Beavers explained. Coca Cola funded the project to determine what size wetlands could effectively treat water in the bottling and manufacturing plants the company operates worldwide. “The size of the project fit the model of the flow in the villages where [Coca Cola] was putting these in.”

Smith also questioned whether SUD should require proof of insurance since the contract stipulates, “The University agrees to indemnify and save harmless the District, its commissioners, officers, employees and agents, for the injury to or death of any persons and for the loss, damage or injury to any property” occurring because of the project.

Beavers will ask SUD’s attorney to review the contract.

Beavers noted the contract was largely the same as the previous contract. McGrath wanted to add language stipulating the University could access the property for “teaching” purposes as well as academic research and maintenance.

“She wanted to make sure they could still bring students out there,” Beavers said.

“We would expect that,” Smith said.

The contract allows SUD to intervene if the project negatively impacts wastewater treatment. In lagoon C, invasive duckweed has negatively impacted BOD (the ability to support life based on the oxygen level of the water). The University has reached out to Grundy County Extension Agent Creig Kimbro, an expert on aquatic weed control, to offer advice on the problem.

In other business, SUD Commissioner Donnie McBee asked about repair of the water leak in the Woodlands residential area. Beavers said the leak was in an old galvanized line. Beavers will initiate the location of the leak, and anticipates repair will be done next week. SUD also has another leak to repair on Oak Hill Circle.