Image Credit: City of Columbia, TN / YouTube & Canva
The Tennessee Conservative [By David Seal] –
Paying for a $520 million water intake on the Duck River has required the Columbia City Council to raise water rates by nearly 150% in twenty percent increments over five years and to increase the utility’s impact fees for new customers.
Water customers will feel this rate increase beginning in March according to a news report by the Tennessee Lookout.
The rates were increased in the face of tremendous opposition from a variety of interested parties, including one member of the Maury County Water Board who will certainly have to pass the added costs on to rate payers in his utility district, citing nearly a billion dollars in interest payments over the life of the loan. His comments are as follows.
“The recent vote by the Columbia City Council to approve Columbia Power and Water System’s (CPWS) 149% water rate increase was undoubtedly one of the most detrimental and short-sited decisions the Columbia City Council has ever made. It is much more than just a rate increase. What they have done is put everyone in Maury County on the hook for a $520 million dollar loan and an approximate $900 million dollar interest payment, the terms of which will extend out to 2066! Keep in mind that the City Council made this decision affecting many citizens, roughly 88,000, that they do not even represent. This is a perfect example of taxation without representation, and it is wrong. Another important thing to note is that CPWS has not purchased all easements required to complete their project. As of today, they have acquired approximately 63% of the property needed for their pipeline, and CPWS is threatening eminent domain on some of the remaining property owners. The next stops for CPWS are at the state and federal level in their attempts to secure funding. It is our hope that they see the absurdity in the $520 million dollar project that we do. Lawsuits are being filed to stop this overreach, and there will be more coming about that soon.” – said Jason Gilliam, Maury County Water Board Member
Gilliam and others assert that less expensive options exist to solve the water problems in the region. The Duck River Watershed Planning Partnership (DRWPP), a committee of 19 formed by Governor Bill Lee’s Executive Order 108, will be submitting their findings in April and there is also a project going on right now on the East side of Maury County along highway 431 that will be bringing 3 million gallons of water per day into the county.
That project could be expanded to deliver additional water. Regionalization is the answer and that is already in the works according to Gilliam. Having a multi-county commission to share the load will always be a better approach than allowing a single entity to control the water and to create a monopoly.
A long-term solution that has been discussed is the proposed Columbia Dam Project which would serve as a 100-year solution to regional water needs while providing the added bonus of tourism and economic development for the area.
The Tims Ford Reservoir featured in the TVA / UT Economic Impact Report closely resembles the economic profile of the proposed Columbia Dam Reservoir and cites over $276 million annually in local economic impact.
For background on the Columbia Dam Initiative, a series of articles is linked here.
About the Author: David Seal is a retired Jefferson County educator, recognized artist, local businessman, 917 Society Volunteer, and past Chairman of the Jefferson County Republican Party. He has also served Jefferson County as a County Commissioner and is a citizen lobbyist for the people on issues such as eminent domain, property rights, education, and broadband accessibility on the state level. David is also a 2024 winner of The Tennessee Conservative Flame Award & has received an accolade from the Institute For Justice for successfully lobbing the TN legislature to protect property rights. David can be reached at david@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
