Group tells governor about mountain water project
The project to pump water up Harrison Ferry Mountain is flowing right along, with one major obstacle still remaining ? just over $1 million in state funding.
With that in mind, state Sen. Jerry Cooper, County Executive John Pelham and several other officials from around the region met with Gov. Phil Bredesen last Wednesday to discuss the $3.7 million Warren County project.
?The meeting went well and we think we?re going to reach our funding goal to get water on the mountain,? said Cooper. ?I?ve been up there and there are folks who don?t have running water. And, the flip side is that there are major developments under way that are dependent on the success of this project. We believe this project will mean a boon to the Warren County economy and tax base.?
The project relies on $1.75 million in grant money, a $1 million USDA loan, and a $1.01 million state appropriation. It?s the need for the state appropriation that led to last week?s meeting with the governor.
In addition to Cooper and Pelham, other elected officials in attendance were Van Buren County Executive Kelly Dishman, Sequatchie County Executive David Barker, Grundy County Executive LaDou ?Boo? Bouldin, and state Rep. Bill Harmon.
?It will be hard to imagine what we see in growth if we can get water up there,? said Pelham. ?It will be both residential and industrial growth.?
Pelham said the governor didn?t commit to any funding, but he thought the meeting went well.
?He didn?t commit specifically, but we all left feeling positive. I don?t think it could have gone any better,? said Pelham. ?Getting the ear of the governor was a big step and it looked good to have four county executives, a state senator, and a state representative there. It showed the project has a lot of support.?
The large delegation was to show this is not strictly a Warren County project, but one with regional impact.
Currently, Warren County is forced to buy water from Sequatchie County to subsidize infrastructure already in place on the mountain. The project would affect the surrounding counties by freeing up water supplies that are now at, or above, capacity.
?The Sequatchie County executive told the governor about how his community is growing as it?s getting more and more people who work in Chattanooga but who want to live a little bit out,? said Pelham.
The project, which would run a 12-inch line along Highway 8 to the top of Harrison Ferry, will include two pumping stations and a water tank.
To be approved for the $1.01 million in state funding, the water project will have to be included as a typical budgetary item in the appropriations budget. This budget must be approved by both the House and Senate before it goes to Bredesen for his signature. This happens in the final days of the legislative session prior to adjournment for the year.