The Cumberland Plateau Water Authority beginning a process to streamline delivery by merging policies and operating procedures to improve efficiency for a growing customer base.
General Manager Jeff Dyer said the organization has grown from no customers to more than 16,500 through the merger of three specific utilities. Dyer said the authority is currently focused on optimizing daily operations and internal policies to ensure customers receive the maximum benefit and better service from the consolidated system.
“When you take three individual utilities and merge them together, you have different policies, procedures, operating software,” Dyer said. “And our job is to pull those together, find the best solutions from each of those utilities so that the customers experience the absolute best solution for them.”
Dyer said the authority met with the Lake Tansi Property Owners Association Monday to discuss a potential partnership. Dyer said the association approached the board to request that sewer customers be billed through the CPWA while the two infrastructures remain independent.
“We’ll operate with more effectiveness as one mind, one body, one utility,” Dyer said. “We’re going to continue to look for opportunities where it helps the customers and it helps the community.”
Dyer said the authority is pursuing regionalization to take advantage of shared resources and improved economies of scale. Dyer said the board is also exploring opportunities to coordinate infrastructure planning and strengthen emergency response across the region.
“There’s a tremendous amount of talent in Cumberland County around water and sewer infrastructure that I believe needs to be in one room helping make decisions on the future,” Dyer said. “So I really want to get the best of the talent in one room making decisions and helping customers throughout our entire region instead of being a fragmented system with fragmented rates, fragmented service, fragmented policies and procedures.”
Dyer said the authority also evaluated the Woodgate sewer system regarding capacity for a proposed development. Dyer said the system is currently sufficient for existing residents but does not have the capacity to support additional development at this time.
“Water is one of our most valuable resources and how we manage it today is going to impact generations to come,” Dyer said. “So I think here at the Cumberland Plateau Water Authority, our commitment is really simple. It’s to be transparent, to be responsible, and to work every day towards providing safe, reliable, and sustainable utility services for all communities that we have the privilege to serve.”
Dyer said the authority will continue to look for merger opportunities where the financial reports and water supply needs make sense for the community.
