TVA reported at the Duck River Agency's last board meeting that expanding the capacity of Normandy Lake would cost an estimated $21 million, which doesn't include a feasibility study.

But Duck River Agency Executive Director Doug Murphy said their agency has "cranked it up a notch" by asking "what is the best water supply project" for the area.

"We're not going to make a decision to raise Normandy or run a pipeline to the Tennessee River or another reservoir yet," Murphy said.

Instead, the agency is about to proceed with developing a comprehensive feasibility study for the water supply for the Duck River region. Murphy said he will soon be sending out requests for qualifications to engineering firms.

After that process, the agency will select a small group of firms which will be sent a Request For Proposal (RFP) to do the study. The firm will be chosen late this summer or in early fall.

The study will be "very intense and in-depth" to help the agency make the decision on what the problem is with the water supply and what will be needed to solve it, according to Murphy.

The feasibility study is expected to take two years. There will also be lot of public communication and meetings as well as request for feedback from citizens in what Murphy called "a very open study."

"Everybody's going to be involved in this thing, because basically, its everybody's nickel that's paying for it and putting money back for water in the Duck River region."

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, most of Bedford County is now considered to be in a "moderate" drought, while a small section on the western end of the county is termed "abnormally dry."

While the lower drought figures are welcomed, Murphy said it doesn't mean "we should sit back and relax either."

In the meantime, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has increased the flow of water from Normandy Reservoir to an average of 153 cubic feet per second (cfs), while only 40 cfs is entering the lake. During the winter and spring months, the average flow was around 40 cfs.

That means there is more water flowing out of the lake than is coming in, and TVA data shows the elevation is now beginning to drop. On Thursday, the level was at 872.34 feet and falling from its peak in early June.

Murphy says as long as the Duck River has a little support from flow of tributaries to keep the amount at the required 155 cfs at the Shelbyville wastewater treatment plant gauge, the flow from the dam could remain constant.

But Murphy expects TVA will raise the amount of water released from Normandy as the weather gets drier, letting out around 160 to 165 cfs to meet the required target.

Murphy added that "time will tell" if the area would see the drastic drop in the level of Normandy Lake that occurred during last year's exceptional drought.

The best thing about last year's water dilemma is that area officials are now watching the numbers a little closer than they did last year, Murphy said.

"Maybe we can get a reduction in discharge (from Normandy) in the fall, when everything cools down, that would save water in the reservoir for next spring."