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TLDA approves $75M SRF loan to expand Columbia water treatment plant
Summary
TLDA approved a $75 million drinking-water SRF loan to Columbia (through Columbia Power and Water System) to expand treatment capacity by 12 million gallons per day. Staff cited capacity constraints (regularly above 80–90%) and recommended funding as necessary for public-health compliance; the Duck River Planning Partnership had unanimously endorsed the project.
The Tennessee Local Development Authority approved a $75,000,000 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loan to Columbia Power and Water System to expand the Columbia drinking-water treatment plant by 12,000,000 gallons per day.
TDEC staff presented the drinking-water SRF unobligated balance and said the SRF review found Columbia’s revenue and a multi-year rate plan sufficient to support the loan; staff recommended approval. Vina Jones said the SRF program’s unobligated drinking-water balance would fall to about $89.3 million if the loan were issued and that Columbia’s plant routinely exceeds safe operational capacity thresholds. "CPWS currently does not have the capacity at their existing plant to safely provide drinking water to its existing customers," Jones said.
Columbia’s chief financial officer, Ashley Maddox, reviewed the utility’s five-year rate plan and a schedule of inside residential charges rising from about $34.75 (2025) to a projected $86.43 by 2030; she said the inside residential rate at the time of the meeting was about $41.70 per 5,000 gallons. Board members questioned asset useful life and parity with outstanding revenue anticipation notes; the Duck River Planning Partnership and Columbia representatives urged approval, noting the project has been studied for years and that SRF parity would preserve substantial interest savings for ratepayers. The board approved the $75 million SRF loan by voice vote.
