Despite some questions from Dekalb County Commissioners, Cookeville Boat Dock Road Utility District officials are optimistic of moving forward with sewer service.
District Board President Grover Bennett, Jr. said the Commission tabled a motion Monday regarding the charter expansion for the Austin Bottom area. Bennett said commissioners had questions about the new proposal.
“We’ve proposed DeKalb County to let us provide any sewer in our territory we serve as a water utility district in the event a sewer on-site sewer plant has to be built to make the development go and, you know, we think we would be better at running it than private firm would be based on what we’re hearing news all across the state,” Bennett said. “So again, we just we just think that would be the best route to go.”
Bennett said the decision was motivated by a proposed development on Ditty Road that could include up to 850 new homesites.Bennett said he intends to reach out to the two DeKalb County commissioners who represent the district’s service area to answer their questions.
Bennett said the district wants to be responsible for the design, construction, and maintenance of any necessary on-site sewer facilities to prevent the types of system failures reported in other parts of the state, including Sumner and Wilson.
“Because of all the news we’ve heard over the years of problems with design and implementation of sewer plants, we decided that in the best interest of Putnam County, especially our territory, the people would be better served if the water utility district was the one in charge of that so that we could look after the long-term interest of everybody,” Bennett said.
Bennett said the charter change establishes the district as the sole provider of sewer services within its territory unless the board chooses to relinquish that authority.
“You’re hearing all the problems up in Wilson County and Sumner County related to these problems that were improperly designed, improperly installed, and they’re failing, and they’re dumping this raw sewage out into the system, and nobody wants that,” Bennett said. “So that’s the reason we felt it was important for us to get ahead of it.”
Bennett said the district is not actively seeking to build sewer systems but will step in when a developer requires a plant to make a project financially feasible. Bennett said the utility is approaching the expansion as a defensive measure rather than a revenue-generating venture.
“We’re not in it for the money, trust me,” Bennett said. “Sewer’s generally… it’s hard to break even in any sewer operation. Again, we’re just doing it for, as a defensive purpose.”
Bennett said the Putnam County Mayor and the Putnam County Commission have already approved the charter change for the district’s territory within that county.