MUD reviews line expansion, OKs new project

8:59 p.m. Sept. 9, 2025

DUANE CROSS
MCO Publisher•Editor

The Metro Moore Utility Department board met Tuesday, Sept. 9, with discussion centered on line expansion costs in the Walnut Ridge and County Line areas, as well as approval of a smaller-scale project to extend service to six households on Turkey Creek Loop.

Engineer Bryant Griffin presented detailed cost estimates for potential water line expansions. He compared the feasibility of extending service across Walnut Ridge with a project along the county line, noting the county line option appeared less expensive.

Griffin explained that line size would be a key decision point: while four-inch lines could suffice for now, installing six-inch lines would better accommodate long-term growth and avoid future replacement costs.

“If all that land up there develops, you’re not just replacing four-inch with six,” Griffin cautioned. “You’d be putting in a tank as well. But for just a little more money now, you could go ahead and install six-inch and be prepared for the future.”

Board members agreed that planning for potential development was essential, especially given past challenges with undersized lines. Discussion also touched on the possibility of constructing a new elevated tank along Highway 82 to reduce pressure on the overused Buckeye Tank.

Griffin estimated that such a project could cost around $2 million or more, depending on capacity and pump station requirements.

Water for Turkey Creek Loop

The board voted to move forward with a water line extension to six households on Turkey Creek Loop. The project will cost approximately $53,891, with homeowners contributing $2,550 each upfront to cover the costs of pipes and meters.

Board member Glen Thomas, who made the motion to proceed, also proposed a cost-sharing policy for future connections. Under the plan, existing households in the area that join within five years of project completion would pay an additional $2,000 to help offset costs already borne by the initial participants.

The motion passed unanimously. Officials will notify the affected residents and begin gathering the required payments before placing the pipe orders.

• July Meeting: Residents solicit for MUD water access

Discussion: Land acquisition for plant expansion

Board members revisited the pressing need to secure land for a potential expansion of the community’s water treatment capacity.

The county will need to negotiate with the Motlow family regarding the purchase of land adjacent to the current facility. Without securing property, the board agreed, no expansion plans could realistically move forward. “We can talk about it all we want, but if we don’t have anything to build it on, what good is it?” MUD Chairman Barry Posluszny said.

Engineer Griffin explained the system’s limitations, noting that the existing lagoon cannot easily be enlarged. Any expansion would likely require a new treatment package on higher ground behind the current site or construction of an entirely new plant.

While running two plants could divide service across the county, Griffin cautioned that the option would double operating costs and regulatory requirements. “It’s almost never a good option,” he said, emphasizing that a single expanded plant with additional storage would be more practical in the long run.

Board members concluded that acquiring land is the critical first step before more detailed decisions can be made.

Also

• Thomas made a motion to keep Barry Posluszny as chairperson and Greg Guinn as vice chair. Darrel Richards seconded, and it passed unanimously.

Guinn and Charles “Boo” Johnston were absent.