Putnam’s Martin Creek Water Project Comes In At Budget

Putnam County’s Martin Creek Water Project bids came in right at budget at some $1.87 million.

Mayor Randy Porter said with all of the inflation and rising costs, they were surprised and pleased with the results of the bid. He said it looks like they will be able to do the entire Martin Creek area and replace lines off of McBroom Branch Road to connect it back to the Martin Creek line.

“Basically what that does is that connects Baxter, Double Springs, and Jackson County Utility District and gives them a connection there,” Porter said. “So all three would be connected should they ever need to do something to help one out if they needed it.”

Porter said the project will now go through the state to TDEC for their approval. He said once the state gives approval, they will be ready to start construction.

Porter said if they are able to get quick approval, construction could start as early as July. He said this will be a huge opportunity for county residents that do not have access to water.

“You think in the age we live in, that there would be public water available to all of the county, well there’s not, especially in the rural areas,” Porter said. “In the west end of the county, in the Martin Creek, Buffalo Valley area, and the east end up in the Calfkiller and Brotherton Mountain area.”

Porter said once the county got ARP funds from the federal government to complete those projects, the commission voted to spend it on expanding public water access. He said the Martin Creek project came through TDEC and engineers are conducting work on the Calfkiller Creek area.

“A lot of those people are on wells and springs that dry up in the summertime and some of them are on sulfur wells and that’s just terrible so we want to try to get water access as much as we can,” Porter said. “So it looks good on the Martin Creek that that’s going to happen and we’re just waiting for engineering to take place on the Calfkiller area and hopefully if that comes in budget, that will be two key areas of the county that we can provide public water access.”