Monday, 12/03/07

Bredesen calls for water-supply cooperation

Gov. Phil Bredesen knows from his days as Nashville's mayor that it can be hard to get local governments to cooperate, but he hopes the drought will rouse them to work together to solve their water problems.

The state has a plentiful water supply, Bredesen said in Department of Environment and Conservation budget hearings Friday, and by banding together water districts can access it more cheaply.

As mayor, Bredesen said, he was amazed that neighboring Williamson County appeared to have annual water supply problems but declined to partner with Nashville, which had ample water from the Cumberland River.

"When I left office … I gave myself an F on regional cooperation," he said after the hearing. "I never made any progress whatsoever on doing that."

"Maybe if you found some way in which you were not making them give up their fundamental authority on the water supply, then you might be able to find some way to put it together," Bredesen said. "I'm just saying it's very logical."

After all, Bredesen said, "this is a state where we have plenty of water. It's a huge asset."

20 impose restrictions

The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency reported in early November that 20 water systems were under mandatory conservation measures because of shortages.

"I've kind of found in politics that it's hard to get anything done unless there's some crisis that requires you to act," Bredesen said. "And this is one where a lot of people have had their heads turned and they're ready to act."

Bredesen, a Democrat, said he had been frustrated by the lack of preparation. "It was a totally predictable scare in the sense that they've been knowing for 10 years or 15 years that they've needed to do things about the water supply issues."

Deputy Commissioner Paul Sloan said the water shortages had forced the department to reconsider its priorities. "Historically, our primary charge has been on the quality side, not on the quantity side."

Environment and Conservation Commissioner Jim Fyke said most parched areas were not impossible to supply.

"One of the obvious solutions is to get as many of these counties as we can get to work together to get to the Cumberland River and the Tennessee River," he said.

Fyke acknowledged that politics can often prevent cooperation on water. "But when you become thirsty, sometimes that might work," he said.

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