Most of the discussion at the Greeneville Water Commission meeting today dealt in one way or the other with the September floods and moving forward.
Water Superintendent Laura White reported to the board that $14 million of the $18 million in HEAL program money earmarked for Greene County will be used for the Water Department in covering cost related to flooding related expenses. This ten year no interest loan originated by the Governor after the floods allows those bills to be paid and projects to continue prior to the much longer process of waiting for FEMA funds which will then be reimbursed. Over $550,000 has been paid out to date to cover an emergency pump, payroll including overtime , extra diesel costs among other line items related to the flooding and the damage to water department facilities and equipment.
Water Treatment Plant Chief Operator Darrin Woolsey updated the board on the process of cleaning out the pump house along the river and restoring engines from pumps damaged during the flooding , say he thinks three of the engines are salvageable. Board members thanked Woolsey and his staff for their work in getting water service restored as quickly as they did after the pumps failed, crediting a contingency plan which Retired Plant Chief David Ricker and he put together in 2014 as part of a facilities expansion.
Board members approved a motion to work with the engineering firm of WK Dickson for raw water intake improvements
No action was taken on rebuilding of a generator at the water plant , as the project will be rebid.
