MUD board advances Hwy. 82 water project

Board authorizes state submission, reviews financing, water loss, billing changes, and contractor deposits

8:42 p.m. July 14, 2026

DUANE CROSS
MCO Publisher•Editor

The Metro Moore Utility Department board voted Tuesday to move forward with a water-line extension along Highway 82, authorizing MUD engineer Bryant Griffin to submit plans to the state and continue the engineering process.

The board also directed MUD to obtain updated prices for pipe and related infrastructure. Members said the state review could take several months, making it important to submit the plans now.

The proposed Highway 82 line would extend approximately 2,400 feet using six-inch pipe and would include a pump station to maintain pressure farther from the existing system. The engineering plans also include approximately 2,300 feet of line along County Line Road and 6,300 feet of four-inch pipe along Womack Ridge Road.

Every vote taken during the July 14 meeting was unanimous. Voting in favor were Greg Guinn, Charles “Boo” Johnston, MUD Chair Barry Posluszny, and Glen Thomas. Board member Darrel Richards was absent.

The Highway 82 project was one of several infrastructure and financial issues discussed during the meeting. The board also created separate billing classifications for governmental and nonprofit customers, approved a $500 deposit for new contractors purchasing bulk water, and reviewed figures showing a year-over-year reduction in water loss.

Hwy. 82 plans move toward state review

MUD has been working through the engineering, property, and financial details of the Highway 82 extension since 2025.

The line would provide capacity for up to 25 new water taps along the corridor. Earlier estimates placed the pump station’s cost at approximately $100,000, not including pipe, fittings, engineering, and other project expenses.

The proposed pump-station site includes a 30-by-30-foot area along the route. The property owner previously indicated a willingness to grant MUD an easement, allowing the department to install, operate, and maintain the equipment without purchasing the land.

MUD also approved a $1,500 project surcharge for each customer connecting to the new line. Including the department’s regular connection charges, a standard three-quarter-inch tap would cost $3,000, while a one-inch tap would cost $4,000.

The surcharge is intended to recover part of the project’s cost from customers connecting to the extension. Board members previously limited the Highway 82 project to 25 taps and said the policy was meant to fill gaps in the existing system rather than subsidize new subdivisions.

Survey work was completed earlier this year and returned to Griffin, allowing design work to begin. Tuesday’s vote clears the way for state review and the next phase of engineering.

Financing considered for water improvements

Board members also reviewed a possible financing arrangement of up to $1 million for water and sewer improvements.

Thomas said the money could be used for improvements in Chapman Acres and to replace aging galvanized water lines throughout the system. He said MUD would have three years to draw from the financing and would pay only for the money it used.

Borrowing the full $1 million would cost approximately $80,000 a year over 20 years, based on figures presented to the board. The loan could not be prepaid during its first five years, but the department could explore refinancing after that period.

No vote was taken. The information was presented to the board for consideration as it develops a long-term plan to replace aging infrastructure.

Thomas noted that galvanized lines continue to require repairs. Some sections have been fixed more than once, raising questions about whether replacement would be more practical than continuing to patch them.

Development policy under review

The board began reviewing a proposed development policy that would place more responsibility for the review and inspection of new water infrastructure on MUD’s engineer.

Under the proposal, Griffin would determine whether the utility has enough capacity to serve a proposed development. An inspector from the engineering firm would monitor the installation, with the developer paying the associated costs.

No vote was taken Tuesday. Board members were asked to study the proposal before it returns for additional discussion.

During the discussion, members raised concerns about the water infrastructure installed at The Retreat at Whiskey Creek. Posluszny said different plumbers worked on the project and that some lines and meter assemblies were buried before MUD inspected them.

He said portions of the system later had to be uncovered so the utility could inspect the work.

A clearer policy, Posluszny said, would establish responsibility for inspections, require that infrastructure be checked before it is covered, and ensure that developers pay for the required hydrants and other improvements.

The policy would also place technical decisions in the engineer's hands rather than leaving board members to determine whether the system has sufficient capacity for a development.

New billing categories approved

The board unanimously approved the creation of separate billing classifications for governmental and nonprofit customers.

Thomas said those accounts had previously been placed in either the residential or commercial category, leading to questions during prior audits about whether some customers had been classified correctly.

Under new classifications proposed by Guinn, churches, government buildings, and similar customers will be separated from traditional residential accounts. Their charges will not change immediately. The new governmental and nonprofit classifications will initially be subject to the residential rate.

Board members said the change would clean up the utility’s records without increasing costs for those customers.

Water loss shows improvement

Thomas presented figures during the meeting showing that MUD produced approximately 302 million gallons of water in the latest fiscal year, down from 320 million gallons the year before.

The utility purchased approximately 26 million gallons from Tullahoma, compared with 24 million gallons during the previous fiscal year.

Despite producing less water and purchasing slightly more, MUD recorded approximately 188 million gallons as sold, up from 185 million gallons.

Reported water loss fell from approximately 159 million gallons to 140 million gallons. The department’s loss percentage dropped from about 46% to between 42% and 43%.

Board members said the figures showed the department was improving.

The reported loss represents the difference between the amount of water MUD produces or purchases and the amount recorded as sold. Leaks, inaccurate meters, line breaks, firefighting use, unmetered construction water, and differences in meter-reading dates can contribute to that gap.

Board members also questioned fluctuations in sewer-loss figures, particularly the decline in the percentage despite heavier rainfall. Rainwater entering sewer lines typically increases the volume that must be treated.

Part of the discussion centered on when meters are read. Board members said readings taken on different days can distort monthly comparisons and asked staff to coordinate readings more closely with the water plant’s midnight reporting schedule.

Contractors must pay deposit

The board unanimously approved a requirement that new contractors establish an account and pay a $500 deposit before purchasing bulk water from MUD.

The vote followed questions about contractors filling large tanks from hydrants without visible meters. Board members said some companies report their usage to the utility, but members questioned whether every contractor using hydrants was being billed accurately.

The requirement will apply to new contractor accounts. Established contractors with active accounts will not be required to pay another deposit.

Johnston said the deposit will give MUD some protection if an out-of-town contractor completes a job and leaves without paying its water bill.

The board also discussed directing contractors to fill their tanks at the water plant rather than connecting directly to hydrants. Contractors working at the Silicon Ranch solar project already obtain bulk water from the plant.

Fiber work linked to line breaks

The board requested an update on the proposed Turkey Creek water project. Members said engineering plans were believed to be underway, but no firm construction date was provided Tuesday. MUD Manager Ronnie Cunningham, who is out of town, will address the timeline next week.

Board members also raised concerns about water lines being damaged by crews installing fiber-optic cable around the county.

Utility employees have been responding to repeated breaks while also dealing with equipment problems. A department excavator reportedly broke down while employees were repairing a leak, forcing the crew to borrow equipment to finish the job.

Board members said fiber crews are working under tight deadlines, sometimes late into the night, and have damaged multiple water lines. Contractors are responsible for repair costs when they cause a break, but the repeated line damage continues to pull MUD employees and equipment away from other work.