TWSA grants car wash request, still faces allocation constraints

By Rose Hooper

With a moratorium in effect for new hook ups requiring over 500 gallons per day, special requests must go before the board which Tuesday night, June 17, granted Holland 7,500-gallons-a-day capacity.

At last month's meeting, Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority Director Hugh Montgomery said, "The race is on" for allocations. Montgomery, on vacation, was absent from Tuesday night's meeting.

"It's a race on how much more we can allocate before we reach capacity," Montgomery had told his board, who enacted a moratorium until July 1 for users over 500 gallons per day.

Holland, who owns a similar operation in Franklin, plans to build a two-bay car wash next to Lee's Barbecue on Highway 107. Property owner Lee Ewart said the two older houses that adjoin his restaurant would be torn down to make room for the car wash which is expected to be operational in six months.

The 7,500-gallons-a-day capacity came from figures generated by Montgomery, said Holland, who estimated his capacity would be around 5,000 gallons, rather than the higher figure.

Board members agreed a deciding factor in their decision to grant the capacity was Holland's proposal to install a reclamation system that would reuse 70 percent of the water.

Following the board's actions, TWSA chairman Mickey Luker said, "We are going to have to keep a running tally of what we've allocated."

Montgomery, who is currently assessing the authority's capacity, has told his board that usage is almost at peak level and the overall system is in "woeful" condition.

"We need that inventory before we make any more decisions," board member Lynda Sossamon said of Mont-gomery's study. "And we need to review a list of what has already been promised."

"We also have to consider if someone has a failed system and the health department says they have to be taken care of," said Luker.

"It' going to be hard to determine who gets on and who doesn't," said board member Bobby Beck, noting that Holland's car wash requires the same capacity as 20 three-bedroom residences.

"Before adding any more on our system, we need to handle our current demand," said Jim Cochran, Dillsboro's TWSA representative.

"We are going to have to start saying 'No' at some point," TWSA attorney Ray-mond Large said.

Board members agreed they needed to arrange a joint meeting with all the county's governing bodies to make them aware of the seriousness of the situation.

Back to Archive: 06/19/03.