La Vergne approves first-phase study to search for new drinking-water sources

La Vergne — The Board of Mayor and Aldermen on June 26 approved a first-phase water supply study by consulting firm Gregson Maloney to evaluate additional drinking-water sources for the City of La Vergne's water system.

The study, presented by Jamie Inslee, will identify engineering- and finance-feasible options — including cross-connections with neighboring systems, coordination with other local water providers, and discussions with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers about reallocating storage in J. Percy Priest Reservoir — and prepare recommendations for a possible second phase for infrastructure planning and cost estimates.

The study matters because La Vergne currently relies on storage and yield from J. Percy Priest Reservoir under a storage agreement the city signed with the United States Army Corps of Engineers in 2003. Inslee said the Corps has adjusted its storage-yield calculations in recent years to reflect drought conditions and modeling changes, and that the Corps’ internal timeline for a reallocation study would not meet the city’s anticipated water needs driven by local growth.

In her presentation, Inslee said the study will review alternatives and timing and that a second phase would follow if the board chooses to proceed with infrastructure evaluation and detailed costing. Board members and staff discussed regional options: Inslee said some utilities and the Central Utility District (CUD) have considered a joint approach with Smyrna and Murfreesboro to seek additional Corps storage; other options mentioned included purchases or interconnections with nearby suppliers.

A member of the audience asked whether the study cost was $275,000; the transcript records that question but the presenter did not read a line-item total aloud in the meeting record. Inslee described the study scope as first-phase planning and feasibility work, with phase two to return to the board for approval if infrastructure work becomes necessary.

Inslee also explained how the Corps calculates “storage yield” from an acre‑feet storage allocation and why the Corps’ definition of a critical period — when reservoir elevation drops below winter or summer pool thresholds — affects the yield calculation the city receives. She said the city has limited control over reservoir levels and therefore needs contingency options.

What happens next: the board approved the study proposal on the consent agenda; staff will receive the consultant’s recommendations and may return with a request to fund or authorize a second-phase evaluation should the study identify a preferred alternative.

Sources and context: the study ties to an existing 2003 storage agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and to state regulatory expectations on water treatment; the presenter cited ongoing coordination with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and neighboring utilities.