Committee awards countywide water delivery contract to Music City Refreshments after complaints about incumbent

Rutherford County commissioners approved a one‑year water delivery contract with Music City Refreshments for bottled water and cooler service across county offices, voting to start the contract as soon as possible.

Staff said the county had experienced service problems with the incumbent, Crystal Springs, including inconsistent deliveries and what staff described as higher fees (a $13.99 delivery fee and a $6 invoice fee were cited as examples). Music City Refreshments— owner told the committee his business is independent, locally warehoused and has about six employees; he said his operation serves more than 500 accounts and already supplies several county departments, including EMS and rural fire.

Carla, the county procurement contact, said the new bid includes a single deposit for bottles and a swap system that avoids frequent deposit debits and credits; the vendor also offered bimonthly deliveries and said it will accept competitor bottles in exchange for replacements. Commissioners asked that service begin promptly to replace departments that had not received deliveries since April. The contract is one year with up to two one‑year extensions; commissioners approved immediate execution and roll‑call votes recorded unanimous support.