Company details why English Mtn. residents have gone weeks without water (UPDATE)

[Jilly_in_VA]

After months of complaints from English Mountain residents about a lack of water, the state has opened an investigation into why it’s been happening.

Tennessee’s Comptroller Office officially requested that all three Utility Management Review Board members be replaced after claiming they failed to control excessive water loss and to seek opportunities to replace or upgrade failing infrastructure.

According to the report, nearly 63% of the water under the control of the East Sevier County Utility District last year was lost, which means it spilled out onto the mountain and didn’t go to people’s homes.

That water loss rate is drastically higher than 2017?s rate of 48%.

“Pressure-reducing valves weren’t in operation,” said Craig Miller, Division Manager with Alliance Water Resources. “Ultimately, it’s the job of the people at the utility.”

He added that employees at ESCUD told him that a review board member instructed staff not to touch the pressure valves, which Miller believes is the primary reason why so much water loss occurred.

https://www.wvlt.tv/2022/12/14/company-details-why-english-mtn-residents-have-gone-weeks-without-water/

Sounds suspiciously like corruption to me....or incompetence. I vote for door #1

[marble falls]

1. Have they tried hiring the little Dutch boy? How in the heck do they know what the problem is ...

... and not get on it? Why does it seem that the judicial thrust is to finally get the two ESCUD reps into court? Where is the court order for temporary relief?

Why do we insist on privatizing public services?

[jaxexpat]

2. Competence is challenging in municipal utility companies.

It's more difficult to maintain a uniform delivery pressure in mountainous terrain. It's also more complicated to install pipe and fittings/valves in rocky conditions. In smaller municipalities, workers are often expected to wear many different hats.