MUD OKs line project, pushes developer policy forward

Greg Guinn will lead MUD as board moves forward with $583K project, rules governing utility costs tied to new builds

10:25 p.m. Sept. 8, 2026

DUANE CROSS
MCO Publisher•Editor

The Metro Moore Utility Department changed chairs Tuesday night, then moved ahead with roughly $583,000 in water-line work aimed at getting more of Lynchburg’s old galvanized pipe out of the ground.

Before the meeting got underway, board member Darrel Richards presented outgoing Chair Barry Posluszny with a Columbia blue tumbler and a thank-you for his seven years on the board.

“You’ve shown you care about Moore County, and you serve Moore County, and you are Moore County, and we appreciate you,” Richards told him.

Posluszny thanked the board, saying disagreements had been few during his tenure.

“It has been contentious on very few occasions, but that’s what this is all about,” Posluszny said. “We try to better the community, and I do appreciate it.”

Board members then turned to new leadership. Greg Guinn was unanimously named chair, and Glen Thomas was unanimously named vice chair. Newly elected District 2 Metro Council member Payton Keller has been appointed to fill Posluszny’s seat on the utility board, beginning in October.

Galvanized lines get a price tag

The biggest dollar figure of the night came from engineer Bryant Griffin, who brought the estimate board members had asked for in August.

Replacing the galvanized lines through Chapman Acres is estimated at $480,475. Adding roughly 900 feet of four-inch line along Highway 55 brings the turnkey estimate to $583,330, including engineering and a construction contingency.

“That would replace all the galvanized line,” Griffin told the board.

His estimate was built from pricing on MUD’s recent work with Rogers Hydrant, with some costs increased and a 10% construction contingency added. Griffin cautioned board members against counting on getting the same prices when the new work is bid.

The Chapman Acres portion would serve about 33 homes, with another eight or nine services along the Highway 55 stretch. The work also ties directly into MUD’s effort to bring down water loss. During the discussion, the old galvanized pipe was identified as one place where the department knows it is losing water.

Thomas made the motion to proceed with Chapman Acres and the Highway 55 section, with Guinn seconding. The motion passed on a unanimous roll-call vote.

Griffin said the plans are substantially drawn and still need final specifications before being submitted for state approval. He estimated that process could take about three months, putting the project on a path toward bidding around the end of the year.

Board members also approved pursuing up to $1 million through the Tennessee Municipal Bond Fund. They noted MUD would not have to draw the full amount, but wanted enough borrowing authority in place to cover the project and any additional costs that may come with it. The financing will also require action by the Metro Council.

Developer policy moves forward

The board also moved ahead with a developer policy that members had held over from August.

The idea is to put a written process around new developments that need MUD to study capacity, extend mains, or upgrade existing infrastructure. The discussion Tuesday centered on who should pay when new growth requires more from the utility system.

The board first approved a new water and sewer availability form, with an addition showing the number of taps being requested. That number can help flag projects large enough to trigger the developer-review process.

Board members then took up the broader policy. Griffin explained that a small project where adequate water is already available may need little more than an availability letter and applicable capacity fees. A larger development requiring hydraulic studies, bigger lines, or extensions is another matter.

Board members said MUD should not be footing the cost of line upgrades needed to serve a new 50-home development while existing residents elsewhere in the county still lack public water.

“That’s where this will help us to grow and don’t have to foot the bill,” Guinn said. Posluszny summed up the concern more plainly: “Why should this department have to foot the bill for their development?”

Thomas moved to approve moving forward with the development policy, and Guinn seconded. The motion passed without opposition. Some of the wording and fee structure still need to be worked out before the policy is put into final form.

Hurricane Creek request gets a closer look

The board also heard a personal appeal from David Long, who lives at 3342 Hurricane Creek Road and asked MUD to see whether public water can be brought closer to his home.

Long told board members his home has relied for years on a small springhouse about 100 yards away. The pump has required repeated repairs, and the water itself has been tested.

“We’ve had the water tested by the state, and it is not drinkable,” Long said.

He and his wife buy drinking water and carry it home in three- and five-gallon containers. Long told the board his wife is 75, while he will turn 85 this month. He has had knee surgery, problems with balance, and several falls this year.

The difficulty is not simply finding a nearby main. Board members and staff discussed lines approaching the area from different directions, including meters along Cobb Hollow Road. Depending on the route, an extension could require crossing a creek, bringing state permitting and additional engineering into the job.

Rather than leave Long to keep coming back to meetings, Posluszny asked Cunningham to investigate the closest workable route, determine what easements or permits might be needed, and develop a ballpark cost.

“It’s going to take some time,” Griffin cautioned. A creek crossing, he said, could require several months for state approval.

Water loss stays on the board’s radar

Water loss also drew plenty of discussion Tuesday.

The department’s August numbers showed loss above 30%, and board members focused on getting a better handle on where those gallons are disappearing.

Cunningham reported that a recent sanitary survey went well, although the number of leaks across the county drew attention. He told the board much of the rural system — notably the south end of the county, including Hurdlow – remains in poor shape, and crews continue repairing leaks.

“We gotta stay on top of that water loss,” Thomas said. “Each day, you can know each day.”

Board members discussed making better use of meters at the department’s tanks so staff can compare daily flows and narrow down where water is being lost. One large meter is currently out of service, and Cunningham agreed to get a price for replacing it.

Crews can keep finding and patching leaks, but the Chapman Acres and Highway 55 project would take another stretch of old galvanized pipe out of the equation.

Purchasing policy approved

Board members also approved the revised purchasing and contracting policy included in the September packet.

Staff said the update grew out of a finding in last year’s audit. The old policy required three informal bids for certain small purchases, but MUD did not have the documentation required by that language. The revised version removes that provision and cuts the policy from eight pages to four.

Guinn moved to approve the revision, which passed without opposition.

The board then spent several minutes on when moving money between budget categories – particularly where employee salaries are involved – requires board approval.

With auditors expected back next week, the discussion centered on making sure those transfers receive board approval when required and leave a clear paper trail.