MUD targets aging galvanized lines for replacement
Utility plans Chapman Acres and Majors Boulevard upgrades as board also weighs new development standards
9:25 p.m. Aug. 11, 2026
DUANE CROSS
MCO Publisher•Editor
The Metro Moore Utility Department is moving ahead with plans to replace galvanized water lines around Chapman Acres and along Majors Boulevard, or Highway 55, a project aimed at removing some of the remaining old pipe from the system and reducing leaks.
Engineer Bryant Griffin said preliminary drawings are complete for the Chapman Acres work and about 2,000 feet of galvanized line along Highway 55.
All five board members were present for Tuesday’s meeting: Greg Guinn, Charles “Boo” Johnston, Chairman Barry Posluszny, Darrel Richards, and Glen Thomas.
At Chapman Acres, some of the existing line runs through residents’ yards. The replacement generally would be placed closer to the road, with new service connections made to customers.
Griffin said several hundred feet of directional boring will be needed to run new pipe beneath concrete driveways rather than cut through them. Gas lines, sewer lines, and other existing infrastructure also will make parts of the route tight.
Plans call for a four-inch line in Chapman Acres and a six-inch line through another portion of the project. Along Majors Boulevard, MUD hopes to use a two-inch replacement where possible, although Griffin said the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) could require a larger line when the plans are submitted.
The project also would eliminate an existing line on one side of the highway and serve those customers with crossings from the new main rather than maintain two parallel lines. Utility Manager Ronnie Cunningham said MUD also hopes to secure an easement along the route to help carry the six-inch line through the area.
The work will have to be contracted rather than completed by MUD crews. Griffin expects to bring a preliminary cost estimate back to the board in September.
He also said work has started on Highway 82 and Walnut Ridge/County Line water-line projects. Paperwork involving property for the water treatment plant is nearly complete and needs Mayor Sloan Stewart’s signature.
Keeping the water on
The discussion quickly turned to what construction would mean for customers along the route.
Griffin said the goal is to keep the existing system operating while the new line is installed.
“The ideal would be that they wouldn’t be out of water except when you change the meter,” he said.
Once a new main and service line are ready, a customer would be disconnected from the old system and tied into the replacement. Griffin estimated a typical interruption at about an hour. Even when a galvanized service line beneath the highway has to be replaced, the new service can be installed first and connected at the end.
Development policy gets closer look
Much of Tuesday’s meeting centered on a proposed MUD development policy designed to give the utility more control over subdivisions and other larger projects before infrastructure goes into the ground. No final action was taken.
The proposal would begin with an application and a letter of availability determining whether MUD has enough capacity to serve a project. Larger developments could require flow testing and engineering review. (Example form)
Griffin said the goal is to answer the capacity question early. If serving a development would require a larger main or other upgrades, the developer would know that before committing to the project.
The policy also would formalize inspection requirements for utility infrastructure installed by developers. MUD’s engineer or an inspector working on its behalf would oversee the work, with the developer responsible for those costs.
Griffin said buried water lines can pass a pressure test and still create problems years later if PVC pipe was installed against rock or improperly bedded. Once MUD accepts the infrastructure, those problems become the utility’s responsibility.
Board members referenced problems encountered with utility infrastructure at the Whiskey Creek tiny-home development as an example of why inspections need to occur while work is underway rather than after lines have been buried. Griffin said the work should be checked regularly and before lines are covered.
Capacity fees and hydrants
The board also discussed capacity fees, which would help offset the additional demand development places on the water system and provide money for future upgrades.
Griffin distinguished between capacity fees and tap fees. MUD currently collects tap fees as individual homes are connected, and board members expressed concern about requiring smaller developers to buy every future tap before homes are built.
The proposed policy could apply to projects involving three or more lots while allowing a simpler process for small developments or lots already fronting an adequate existing main. Griffin said some form of availability review still makes sense before new demand is added to the system.
The board asked that a basic availability form be prepared for September. The broader policy will return for more discussion.
Fire hydrants became part of that conversation as well. MUD primarily provides drinking water and does not guarantee fire-protection flow throughout its system.
Griffin said hydrants on larger mains still can be used for flushing lines and giving fire departments a place to draw water into portable tanks. Hydrants without sufficient flow for direct firefighting can be marked accordingly.
Posluszny said Planning and Zoning has been discussing hydrants as a requirement for new developments, making it another issue MUD needs to address in its standards.
Leak system continues finding breaks
MUD’s acoustic leak-detection system continues flagging problems across the distribution network.
Cunningham said four potential leaks appeared on Tuesday’s report alone. One already had been repaired, while others required additional investigation. He also described a substantial leak on Bull Run that stayed underground before finally surfacing last week and another near the dam on Highway 50.
Thomas said the new meter technology is doing what officials hoped it would do – identifying suspicious activity before every leak becomes obvious at the surface.
The department’s June water-loss figure was about 29%. July rose slightly, and board members said continued leak detection and repairs will be necessary to keep pushing that number down.
Thomas also wants the monitoring system watched beyond normal office hours. He noted that leaks can develop overnight, on weekends, and during holidays while no one is regularly logged into the system.
The board voted to pursue giving water department personnel access to the platform and to determine whether automatic email or phone alerts can be configured when a possible leak is detected. Staff will report back in September.
Other business
• MUD crews have installed about 1,040 feet of water line along Turkey Creek Church Road, Cunningham said. Crews hit limestone and rented equipment with a rock hammer to continue the work. The first new tap along the extension is ready to be installed.
• The department also is preparing to inspect all five water tanks using a remotely operated vehicle, or ROV, equipped with a camera. Officials said it has been about six years since all five were inspected together.
The Dickey tank will receive particular attention. Cunningham said a previous inspection showed coating or sealant peeling from the dome.
• The board also unanimously approved moving MUD’s accounting operations from QuickBooks to the Local Government accounting system used at the courthouse.
MUD Office Manager Katie Goodwin said the platform should integrate with MUD’s billing software through an import file, with training and technical support included. The department spent $6,579.97 on its existing software-related costs last year, and officials said the change could eliminate additional outside support expenses.
• The board will elect a chair and vice chair next month. The meeting also will be Posluszny’s last as chairman as he begins his seventh year on the MUD board.