Because the county as a whole is at a critical juncture in determining and acting in the most timely and judicious ways to increase both our water supply and water treatment facilities, on October 26, 2009, County Commissioners appreciated the opportunity to formally propose a Regional Water Supply and Treatment Solution to the Mayor of Cullman in hopes of forging a stronger working relationship with the City in meeting water needs across Cullman County.

Research has revealed some of the following merits regarding the use of Smith Lake as a water supply and potential site of a water treatment facility:

• Accessing water from the already existing, quality water source at Smith Lake is a reliable and expeditious alternative that saves years and significant costs for all of our constituents who are in dire need of a water supply.
• Utilizing Smith Lake water enables almost immediate work on increasing treatment capacity.
• To better meet updated Safe Drinking Water Act standards, a Smith Lake treatment plant located in the southern area of the county - where there is the greatest need for an increase in treated water - decreases the time the water is in the system and thereby maintains better water quality.

In addition, working together as a region has merits, if regional cooperation on the issue is possible. For the complete Proposal and more information, please see the below information.

Presentation (short) - How the Duck River Plan and the Smith Lake Plan work Presenation (full) - How the Duck River Plan and the Smith Lake Plan work Letter from Mayor Max Townson, City of Cullman, for a 30-year, exclusive Water Purchase Agreement from Cullman County (October 8, 2009) Letter from the Cullman County Commissioners to Mayor Townson (October 26, 2009)
Six-point Regional Water Board Proposal (October 26, 2009) FAQ - About Forming a Regional Water Board FAQ - About Cullman County's Water Supply & Water Treatment Needs Comparison - Duck River Reservoir & Water Treatment Plan Compared to Smith Lake Reservoir and Water Treatment Plan Utilities Board of the City of Cullman, Water Supply and Treatment Master Plan (March 2008)	Click Map to Enlarge in New Window
Press Release (10-26-09) Calendar of Commission Speaking Engagements on the Water Proposal (11-12-09) Video of TV-2 Interview on Regional Water Board Proposal (11-12-09) FAQ - Duck River vs. Smith Lake (11-12-09) Press Release: Proposed City Water Contract Does Not Meet County Needs (11-16-09) Regional Water Plan Update (2-18-2010) Press Release (2-24-2010) Cullman County Commission Resolutions (adopted 2-24-2010)

Some of the documents are large (40+ MB), so please be patient when downloading.

Questions? Comments? Click HERE to let us know your thoughts regarding the Regional Water Plan.