News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Upgrades coming to the Story Mountain Water Booster Station.
Sparta Mayor Jerry Lowery said the $366,000 price tag is the result of updating electrical wiring as the current station does not meet state building codes. Lowery also said the water pump at the station has gotten to a point where it is beyond repair.
“We are trying to be proactive on that while we got the funds for it and get that taken care of,” Lowery said. “That way we won’t have to worry because we are constantly repairing the pump right now. It’s doing a lot of rusting and a lot of leaking so it’s really on its last leg.”
Lowery said he is not sure when the project will start or how long it will take to complete the project. Lowery said the city must replace the pump as people who live on the mountain rely on it to receive water.
“We are going to have to bite the bullet and fix it and not wait for everything to go out,” Lowery said. “So we are going to have to get everything ready to go. Get the project going and get it done before that pump does go out.”
Lowery said if if the pump did go out before it is replaced it would not cause for immediate emergency.
“If it went out today we’ve got a water supply up there that probably can last a week before anybody would have trouble,” Lowery said. “We could still supply water.”
W & O Construction was the winning bidder for the project. Lowery said the city had bid the project out twice as the first go around the bid was over $400,000 as a company was trying to add additional unnecessary items like a generator to hike up the price.
