Here is a bit of news that will tickle Mr. C. Bill Hobbs announced Monday that Tennessee Democrats have discovered water.
After six years of ignoring the growing water infrastructure crisis in Tennessee, the state’s Democrats are finally starting to pay attention.
That’s right, six years after the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (TACIR) put the total water infrastructure needs statewide at $2.83 billion, and three years after the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation counted more than 112,000 households across Tennessee that lack access to a public water system – and put the cost of fixing that problem at $1.7 billion – Gov. Phil Bredesen and House and Senate Democrats have suddenly discovered the water problem.
It’s about time, as TACIR estimated late last year that the total water infrastructure needs statewide have risen 13 percent, to $3.19 billion, an increase of $364 million.
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Turns out, you can lead donkeys to water – and make ‘em drink!
Go read Hobbs’ entire post.
Just came from a session in Nashville and listened to Rep McDonald as he talked about his bill. Looks like it is going to pass. It is needed for the state and our county. Someone has to plan without regards to politics or family. Guess I might have been a little ahead of the game but that is the way I work… Come on down and visit someday. I’ll take you on a tour of the county and our district to show you what is going on. We are currently working on our “Athowominee” water treatment plant. With luck, it will be funded this year, on line and producing water by the end of the year.
Tim, does look like the bill is sailing through committees. McDonald doesn’t foresee any problems w/ FWM?
Sad ain’t it? Little cooperation and we could have all been ahead of the game. What the bill requires counties to do is common sense really. Of course, we know why this hasn’t happened locally, but based on numbers it does not seem like much leeway (statewide) has been made as far as infrastructure goes. Why do you think this is?
I’m confused… :w/FWM?? fueding white men?? funding with money?? The bill is going to the committee for funding this week. If I understand correctly, the inital funding will be ~$2.5M for planning purposes. What should it cost for Hawkins County to do the initial planning? We can do it in house with current available assets. No need for engineers. A lot of counties are way ahead of us in the planning and regionalization concept. Somebody just had to step in and put a stop to a lot of the squabbling that is going on (not unigue to Hawkins County). Saw on the news last night that Georgia is coming after a portion of Tennessee for access to the Tennessee River. Water wars are a coming…. (Clive Clusser wrote about it 15 years ago….)
Sorry Tim. Finance, Ways and Means committee. This is the committee I was a little uncertain about. And yes, I had heard Georgia was making moves on TN water supply. Fortunately, if it comes to a war: I think we can take `em.
You know, a while back, I read a Time article where Andrew Liveris stated something like “Water is the oil of this century.” I don’t know – I just found that a particularly sobering statement.