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City hears 30% design for new Kingston water treatment plant; TVA easement, solar panels flagged as obstacles
Summary
Adura Group presented a 30% design draft for a new, independent water treatment facility; city staff said the existing plant sits on TVA land with a revocable easement and adjacent solar panels constrain the site, recommending council pursue a deed or easement amendment before applying for grants or borrowing.
Adura Group representative Aaron Krenshaw presented a 30% design report for an expanded water treatment plant, saying the draft provides a preliminary layout and the elements needed for further design work. "This is just a rough draft, just a sketch," Krenshaw said, adding the plan is a starting point to decide how the facility will function.
Utility Director Kevin Hamilton told the council two site issues require city attention before moving forward with funding or construction. First, Hamilton said the existing treatment plant sits on Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) land that the utility operates under an easement that, as written, allows TVA to require the city to vacate the parcel on short notice. "They also reserve the right to tell you within 90 days to leave that piece of property," Hamilton said, and advised the council to consider asking TVA to amend the easement or to acquire the property outright.
Second, Hamilton said solar panels located between the existing plant and the nearby track constrain where the new facility can be built. Krenshaw said the design team expects to use the same raw water intake upstream at the old bridge abutments and to site a new, independent facility parallel to the existing plant so the system can switch over if the older plant fails.
Hamilton recommended putting a resolution on a future agenda to formally request the property or take other steps to secure site control. Council members and staff discussed reviewing the solar-panel contract and the easement language; Hamilton said staff would ask the city attorney to check the solar agreement's term and options for relocation or payout.
The presentation closed with staff recommending the council review the 30% drawings and direct any questions back to the design team; no formal vote was taken at the work session. The design and property issues will be on upcoming agendas as staff refines cost and funding options.
