Cumberland Plateau Water Authority To Get State Opinion Over Water Jurisdiction

The new Cumberland Plateau Water Authority will ask the State Attorney General’s Office for an opinion on who has jurisdiction over the Crossville water utility.

A local attorney suggested Crossville should hold a referendum on the issue during a recent Water Summit meeting. Cumberland Plateau Water Authority Chair Greg Hanson said he did not know if that is accurate, and it was one attorney’s opinion. But, the board voted Monday to get some clarity from the state.

“One of the things that the board has decided to do as a result of the water summit, is to actually go to the attorney general’s office and perhaps to TDEC and ask the question in regards to oversight of water, control of water resources, and so forth and see if we can get some clarity from the state,” Hanson said. “The city charter seems to be at odds with our statutory authority, and we need to understand which one actually prevails.”

Hanson said the board will not take the next step in the process until all districts are on the path to “regionalization”. Hanson said the state passed a statute that gives regional boards authority over water utilities. He said the City of Crossville has laws that give the city rights over water utilities.

“That is a very inefficient way to manage a resource as important as water,” Hanson said. “Particularly, in light of the level growth Cumberland County is seeing right now. So it makes total sense to me to take a bigger picture approach to try and attack the problem from a regional basis, as opposed to individual areas or neighborhoods or whatever.”

The board tabled voting on hiring a General Manager. Hanson said the they have tabled voting on a General Manager at every meeting since they started in January.

“I don’t believe the board will support hiring a general manager until we have some idea that the five current utility districts are looking at consolidation,” Hanson said.

Cumberland County is only the second county in the state to create a county governing body over water utilities.