State Wants Utilities Pulling from Cumberland, Tennessee Rivers

This year, nearly 40 water utility districts suffered through the long, dry summer in Tennessee – barely keeping water flowing from the taps.

The Department of Environment and Conservation has organized a Water Resources Technical Advisory Committee. TDEC Commissioner Jim Fyke says he hopes the supply issues experienced by towns from Franklin to Monteagle will spawn more regional coordination. :17

“We saw enough to know we need to be better prepared, we being all these county and city utility districts, have got to look at a regionalized plan to get to the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers. And the state can and will be involved with the Governor’s support to help that.”

Fyke says unlike Georgia and Alabama, Tennessee has plenty of water in its rivers to keep up with a growing population. He says utilities shouldn’t be relying on small reservoirs and seasonal streams to provide water to their customers.

The Department of Environment and Conservation isn’t looking to become one statewide utility, Fyke says, but it will encourage towns to cooperate.