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Columbia study session on $500M water project spotlights TDEC permits, CPWS funding plan and strong public push to pause
Summary
TDEC officials told the City of Columbia council that Columbia Power and Water is operating at about 93% capacity and must plan for expansion; CPWS outlined a funding package that relies heavily on federal and state loans and a model that could raise rates up to about 20% per year for five years (commonly cited as a 149% cumulative figure). Dozens of residents and county officials urged a pause and regional alternatives ahead of a scheduled Thursday vote.
Mayor Mulder opened the City of Columbia27s study session and said the meeting was livestreamed and intended as an informal forum for council questions and public comment ahead of a formal vote later in the week.
April Grippo, director of the Division of Water Resources at the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, told council TDEC27s records show Columbia Power and Water Systems (CPWS) is "currently at 93% capacity, so they are required to plan for such an expansion." Grippo summarized the permitting history: TDEC placed the downstream-intake water withdrawal permit on public notice, held a 60-day comment period and issued the permit in 2024; after an appeal with environmental groups, TDEC added water-loss and drought-management provisions and reissued a permit in 2025.
The technical and funding case for CPWS27 proposed downstream intake and treatment expansion was presented by CPWS executives. CFO Ashley Maddox said CPWS does not carry $100…
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