Groundbreaking for the new Meadow Park Lake water
treatment plant in September 2000. Pictured L-R are
Crossville city council members Gene Turner, Wendell
Kerley, Boyd Wyatt Sr, Former State Representative Shirley Duer,
Mayor J. H. Graham, State Senator Lincoln Davis,
unidentified, and engineer Lamar Dunn.
Original Meadow Park Lake water treatment plant at
the time construction of the new plant was started
(Editor's note: It has been 17 years since the groundbreaking for the new Meadow Park Lake water treatment plant to replace the one originally built in the late 1930's. That building still exists and the city has been talking about tearing the old plant down.)
“Our community is the fastest growing rural community in Tennessee. It must have a more than adequate potable water supply.”
Crossville Mayor J. H. Graham III made those remarks at last Friday’s groundbreaking ceremonies for the new Meadow Park Lake water treatment plant. The current Meadow Park Lake water treatment plant produces just under 2 million gallons per day. The new plant is designed to produce 3.5 million gallons of drinking water per day almost twice the old plant’s capacity. The original Meadow Park water treatment plant was built 60 years ago.
Councilman Gene Turner gave an invocation prior to the ceremony and prefaced it saying he hopes the doors to Crossville are never closed to those who want to make Crossville their home. Turner praised the city’s past leaders who made the decision to build Meadow Park Lake and was proud that Crossville was in a position to move the facility to the next level.
“This is a great day for everyone in Cumberland County and the City of Crossville, A day we’ve all been waiting for,” commented Councilman Boyd Wyatt, Sr. Wyatt led those gathered in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Mayor Graham described the long road to the groundbreaking as, “months of planning, months of design, months of approvals and months and months and months of meetings.” The last comment received a laugh from the small crowd gathered for the ceremony.
Mayor Graham summed up his comments about the water project saying, “our community must have water for fire protection for residents and industry as well. The industries we have now must continue to grow and prosper so as to provide jobs and their security for our future and our children’s future. Our policy is, was and forever shall be, to provide for and protect our children’s future.”
Graham recognized several of the attendees for their contribution to the process necessary to get the new plant moving including State Senator Lincoln Davis and former State Representative Shirley Duer. Graham also congratulated the city’s water engineer Lamar Dunn whose firm put the city’s water master plan together and designed the plant and assisted with the state loan application.
Dunn praised the involvement of the State Department of Conservation and Environment for their approval of a very low-interest loan. Through the department, the city received a $7.5 million loan at 1.77 percent interest for 20 years. Crossville’s water plant is the largest single project funded by the revolving loan fund by almost four times. The largest previous amount funded was a $2 million project. Randy Anglin represented the Department of Conservation and Environment and was asked to pass the city’s thanks on to his department’s Commissioner Milton Hamilton.
Some of the other special guests who attended and were recognized including new school board member Gordon Davis; County Commissioner Dr. Don Ivey; Judge Steve Douglas and members of the Meadow Park Lake Commission Dick Brady, Clark West and Elmo Lewis.
The contractor chosen by the city for the project is Building Crafts, Inc. of Blountville Tennessee. The cost of the water treatment plant was bid at $5.3 million. The remaining funds from the $7.5 million loan will be used for associated water system improvements. Construction on the water treatment plant is expected to take between 18 and 24 months.
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