The Herald-News - News Story

The town of Spring City is one step closer to upgrading its water treatment plant, and an upcoming meeting with state officials could get the town even closer.

The five-member board voted Thursday night to submit an application to the state for a $500,000 grant that would go toward upgrading the town's water treatment plant.

The total cost for the project has been estimated at about $4.49 million. Town officials are hoping to be awarded other state grants and loans to pay for the rest of the project, they said Thursday.

The town is also gearing up for a meeting with state officials to move plans forward on attaining a contract to supply water for a prison that will be built in Bledsoe County, Rhea's western neighbor.

The State Building Commission has released its agenda for a Feb. 11 meeting, and on it is a $1.5 million grant proposal from the town ofSpring City for the project.

The Bledsoe County prison project and the fact that the Spring City Water Treatment Plant is operating at a high capacity are both prime reasons to expand the plant, Mayor Mary Sue Garrison said.

"We would be sitting poised and ready," Garrison said regarding the possible prison project.
"The update would ultimately serve two purposes."

Garrison told commissioners at the meeting the plant is now operating at 80 percent capacity, which is the mark where the state encourages plant managers to expand facilities, Garrison said.

Officials probably won't know if the $500,000 grant will be awarded until next fall, according to the mayor.

"It's hurry up and wait," Garrison said after the regular Spring City Commission meeting Thursday. "The way the economy is, who knows when we'll hear."

Spring City has been in the running to supply water to the Bledsoe County prison since last summer.

Dayton was a competitor in the project, but state officials declined to award the city the project reportedly due to its steeper water rates.

Dayton Mayor Bob Vincent said last July that Spring City's rates were lower, but Dayton couldn't lower its own rates while still maintaining a profit for the project.

The prison project could bring in about $15 million for Spring City, City Manager Woody Evans said in July. The town would have to run about 27 miles of pipeline over the mountainous terrain of western Rhea County and eastern Bledsoe County.

The whole prison project is expected to cost the state about $208 million, according to the State Building Commission.

Michael Reneau can be contacted at michael.reneau@rheaheraldnews.com.