Hawkins County school board schedules workshop to review long-running sewer dispute with nearby town

The Hawkins County Board of Education voted on Dec. 2 to schedule a special workshop in mid-to-late January to review a long-running dispute over unusually high sewer charges tied to a nearby town's sewer plant. The board said it wants a full briefing on the technical history, recent metering and possible options before considering any agreement.

Board members described a persistent discrepancy between water inflow and billed outflow at school facilities that has produced overages for years. "We paid for that. And we paid for it $25,000," Mr. Dixon said, referring to the district's payment for a meter that both parties later agreed was metering correctly. Another board member said the other side has at times sought large sums: "Their initial ask was, like, 300,000," the member said.

The disagreement centers on whether groundwater or improperly connected private lines are inflating outflow readings, and on how to apportion costs. Mr. Dixon said the district's most recent reliable meter shows an overage of about $36 a month, and he urged the board to use confirmed technical numbers when negotiating. A board member asked the district to compile options, including repairing lines, costing a self-treatment plant or pursuing limited legal action.

Board members agreed to collect historical meeting minutes, previous technical reports and attorney notes so all members are up to speed. They also asked staff to seek a meeting with the town's mayor and aldermen, and to try to include both entities' attorneys in the background so that any agreement would be legally binding. The board discussed hiring a third-party leak-detection specialist if both parties can agree on a vendor.

The board did not take a formal financial vote on the matter at the Dec. 2 meeting. Members instructed staff to organize the workshop and return any proposed agreement for possible action at the Jan. 8 board meeting.