By Ryan Lewis
Correspondent
JASPER, Tenn. -- Marion County commissioners have taken the next step in the creation of a regional wastewater treatment facility.
Commissioners voted unanimously at their February meeting to create the Marion County Wastewater Treatment Authority, which will oversee the daily operation of a regional facility if it ever is built.
Marion County Attorney Billy Gouger said the rate-setting wastewater authority would include delegates from all over the county.
"The initial board would be appointed by the county mayor and be confirmed by the County Commission," he said. "Each city that participates would be allowed to appoint one representative to serve. The county would also have a representative."
County Mayor Howell Moss said the county is trying to get 75 percent of the project's funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Agency in Tennessee.
"Rural Development has pretty much said that they're going to do only one of the municipalities because of imminent threat," he said. "So we don't know if we're going to be able to get them to do the entire entity or not. If not, we'll have an authority that will be available if this ever does take place."
Currently, South Pittsburg's treatment facility handles sewage from Kimball, New Hope and South Pittsburg. A plant in Jasper serves Whitwell, Powells Crossroads and Jasper.
Both plants desperately need repair or replacement, officials said.
Officials believe a countywide facility, if it could be built, would solve many of their sewage treatment problems.
"What this would do is, instead of building two plants, one in Jasper and one in South Pittsburg, it would basically combine all of them together, and then this governing body would be over that regional system," Mr. Moss said.
"It would eliminate a lot of different entities, and it would add to the capacity and ability to serve the entire county."
Ryan Lewis is based in Marion County. Contact him at ryanlewis34@gmail.com.