Wartrace water to flow faster if weather permits

It went from a bad April Fool's joke to an expensive nightmare, but for the town of Wartrace, it's almost over. During the week of Feb. 9, the town's water system conversion should be complete, connecting it with the Tullahoma Utilities Board.

Should be.

The weather has been a major player in Wartrace's water woes over the last two years, from the initial heavy rains that led to groundwater contaminating the water source at Cascade Springs to the heavy rains throughout last summer that delayed work on the replacement water lines.

Then there are the hard freezes and snows that have postponed the final stage. Pushed back from the November conversion date to January, the big day was pushed back again because of the low temperatures that week. Another projected start-up date was the first week in February, but the recent cold and ice have forced another postponement.

"Weather permitting, it's Feb. 9," said Wartrace Mayor Don Gallagher.

Under pressure

The conversion will mean a serious increase in water pressure as the water flows downhill from the TUB water tower.

"It's 120 psi in Tullahoma," said Gallagher. "We want it to come in no more than 40 psi."

The last year has been spent replacing old water lines with new ones that can handle the pressure, as well as installing a pressure reduction unit on the line before the water ever gets to Wartrace. Gallagher said there have been misunderstandings about how that pressure will affect individual customers and what they need to do.

"It is recommended they put a pressure reduction valve on their own lines," he said. "It will prevent damage if there are any surges in water pressure -- but that could have happened before."

He said the valve is recommended -- not required. A greater benefit of the valves, he added, was water conservation.

"You'll be using less water," Gallagher said.

H2O history

Even before Wartrace received a drinking water warning issued by the state due to high turbidity levels and potentially contaminated water on April 1, 2008, town leaders knew the system needed help. In the previous month, the board of mayor and aldermen first voted for a $2.3 million dollar rehabilitation project to be undertaken for the aging system, which was constructed in the mid-1930s. Only a week later, the rehab project was shelved in favor of a filtration plant, estimated at $3 million.

On April 1, the "boil order" came down from the state, affecting not only Wartrace, but those towns getting their water from Wartrace, such as Bell Buckle and Normandy -- as well as Wartrace's biggest client, the George Dickel Distillery. Bell Buckle shut the lines down and used Bedford County Utility District as its sole source, but was still under a boil order until the lines could be cleaned out. The Bell Buckle boil order was lifted, and Wartrace's son followed.

But there were stipulations -- Wartrace was given 18 months to find a new source of water and, until then, had to test the lines four times a day, seven days a week. Over the next few weeks, the board deliberated, discussed, researched and reviewed and came to the conclusion that building the town its own filtration plant might not be the best answer. On April 14, the town begin the process of pursuing a contract with Tullahoma Utilities Board.

"It's a win-win situation," said Gallagher at the time.

On May 20, after the state approved allowing the distillery to continue to use Cascade Springs as a water source, the contact between TUB and Wartrace was a done deal.

Utility bills

The TUB connection will not only reduce Wartrace's water rates somewhat, it will take the burden -- both in time and money -- of testing off of the Wartrace water department. The town isn't facing the expense of building and staffing a filtration plant. Much of the expense Wartrace has incurred in the process of replacing and repairing lines has been met and matched by state and federal grants and programs.

"Everything is in under budget," said Gallagher.

One of the bigger expenses the town will have to absorb has been overtime pay, necessary because of the mandatory four-times-a-day, seven-days-a-week testing.

"As soon as we switch over, we won't have to test again," the mayor said Thursday.