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Ocoee board weighs decentralized wastewater options, engineer urges Meadow Crest priority
Summary
Berry Engineering urged prioritizing Meadow Crest and pursuing decentralized wastewater solutions; the board deprioritized a new treatment plant due to cost and directed staff to pursue partnerships and zone metering, with a follow-up meeting with TDEC and Cleveland Utilities scheduled for Aug. 29.
Discussion of wastewater strategy and engineering priorities took up a substantial portion of the Aug. 25 meeting.
Ben Berry of Berry Engineering urged the board to prioritize Meadow Crest and coordinate on a decentralized wastewater solution, and asked whether letters of intent to provide wastewater service or pump-and-haul by Sept. 2026 remain reliable. The board deferred legal questions about letters of intent to outside counsel.
President Shawn Willis outlined three priorities for engineering: wastewater, reducing water loss and infrastructure work. The board indicated the proposed new water-treatment plant is no longer a priority because of cost; instead, staff will investigate alternatives including partnerships with Cleveland Utilities and Benton Utilities and will revisit the London Branch discharge plan. Zone metering was recommended as a tool to improve detection and management of water loss.
Management reported operational next steps: Ben Witt will meet with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) and Cleveland Utilities on Aug. 29 to continue wastewater discussions, and the district will issue RFPs to improve monitoring of the water plant. The board requested that staff refrain from making binding commitments—such as letters of intent—without board approval and asked for policy language to be drafted for the next meeting.
Next steps: staff to pursue technical assessments and partnership discussions; legal counsel to review any letters of intent and to advise the board on timelines and liabilities.
