BLOUNT COUNTY, Tenn. — People in Blount County can look forward to better access to safe and reliable water soon. That's thanks to a grant from the American Rescue Plan fund.
According to the Blount County Mayor, Townsend nearly lost its only water supply because of a rockslide last year and fires in the area this year.
Tuckaleechee Utility District's assistant manager emailed a statement to WBIR about the improvements and why they're needed. That statement is available below.
"During the rockslide and fires in the area, staff at TUD had limited access to Pump Stations. The Townsend area is served by 1 water line that runs parallel to the Little River on Old Walland Hwy. When the Little River floods, we have approximately 6 miles of water lines and pump stations that we cannot access until the water recedes. The 2nd(new) water line will run parallel to HWY 321 and will not be as prone to have issues with flooding.
The collaboration with South Blount Utility District solves 2 issues. In the event of floods or fires, this will allow an alternate supply of water into TUD's distribution system.
Additionally, in the event of a drought, the connection with SBUD will take stress off of the City of Alcoa, which is currently TUD's largest supplier of water.
Tuckaleechee Utility District is committed to providing its customers with clean drinking water at all times. This grant will help TUD to continue providing water to its residents, even during extreme conditions."
Todd Lowe, the store manager of the IGA in Townsend said if the city went without water, it would hurt the whole community. He said the store wouldn't be able to sell certain fresh food items, especially during the off-season. He said the store is one of the few places open in the area.
"The major impact here at the IGA would be sanitation, not being able to completely sanitize the meat department room and everything to make sure that we're in code and everything is safe for the customers to purchase, mainly in the meat department and in the Bakery/deli," said Lowe.
The store manager added bathrooms would also be shut down for customers and those who stop by the gas station.
The Townsend Area Volunteer Fire Department Chief, Don Stallions, also emailed a statement to WBIR about the importance of having a functional water supply. That statement is below.
"I am very thankful to Blount County Mayor Mitchell, his staff and the staff of TUD for all of their hard work on this project.
Having a dependable water supply is imperative for us to provide adequate firefighting services to our citizens and visitors. The Lahaina wildland fire tragedy is an example of what can happen during an extreme wildland fire event when firefighters lose their source of water. Lahaina and Townsend are very similar to each other. Small close knit communities that are dependent on tourism for economic survival, located at the base of mountains in an area where just 10 years ago extreme loss of structures due to wildland fire was unheard of. While the increase in extreme wildland fire behavior is alarming, it is comforting to know that the leaders, like Mayor Mitchell, are investing in infrastructure that helps us to mitigate those risks."
One water improvement project being funded by the grants will build a connection point on a new pipeline between the Tuckaleechee Utility District and the South Blount County Utility District.
"If for some reason, the current line that they have now were to become damaged, you know, those customers could be without water," said Caldwell. "So this is important in supplying the customers of each utility district with good clean water."
He says clean water is usually not thought about, but it's a necessity in any community.
"Water is one of the things that are taken for granted. It's something that everyone needs to survive. So it's important, especially in the year 2023, to be able to have good clean drinking water," he said.
Caldwell says there is no set timeline for when the connection point and pipeline will be finished.