A damaged river sluice gate has led to sediment buildup around the intake for raw water supply on the Tennessee River as well as some major concerns and challenges for Loudon city officials.
John Davis, Loudon Utilities environmental engineer, said a problem surfaced two to three weeks ago when the water treatment plant workers began to notice an unusual amount of rocks and debris in the raw water supply.

Inspections by utility workers, then by Bulldog Diving and Southern Shore Development, revealed the damaged sluice gate and extensive bank erosion. The most significant problem, according to Davis, is erosion on the left side of the raw water intake that has exposed the waterline crossing the river in that area.

The problem was discussed at length Aug. 11 at the Loudon Utility Board (LUB) workshop. Work continued throughout the week to assess the situation, as officials worked to determine the best course of action.

"This happened as a matter of course over several years," Davis said. "The banks around the intake are eroding, and parts are falling off the stream bank ... We're getting silt and sedimentation around the pumps."

A consultant engineer, Rick Kirby of Knoxville-based Jordan, Jones & Goulding, told LUB members the utility should move swiftly to repair the damage and stabilize the riverbank around the intake.
The problems in proceeding with haste are many, however. First, a permit from Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is required before any work on the river can be undertaken and obtaining permits can take months.

Kirby warned that a crisis may not be months away.

"Time is of the essence," Kirby told the board. "This problem has caused me to lose sleep at night. This thing could last two years, or we could be eating dinner tonight and get a phone call. If we move as fast as we can to stabilize this, will we get it in time? I can't answer that."

Jack Randolph, board chairman, said the problem must be addressed immediately in some way. "We don't have much choice, do we? We're aware of it, we have a responsibility to move as fast as we can to take care of it - as cost effectively, as expediently as we can."

Cost is a major issue. Davis said the Southern Shores Development proposal for repairs was for $362,500, not to exceed $406,500. Additional work by Bulldog Diving would be required, as well, adding $54,00 to $68,000 to the amount, depending on the time required.

Kirby said, "Southern Shores is a top-notch company and he quoted you a Cadillac fix. It costs [a lot] to build a sheet-pile wall." The proposal involves dredging the river before constructing the sheet pile wall, a form of re-taining wall.

A less expensive option to address the immediate problem would be simply to shore up the bank with riprap, officials said. "The biggest problem is the erosion," Davis said. "Any stabilization we do on the bank is not wasted. If we can get rock to stay on the bank, we have accomplished something."
Since the Monday meeting, officials have continued investigating all options.

Davis said Thursday, "We're looking at a proposal that would be less expensive but get us by, to a construction project we might tie together with. We're looking at expanding the water treatment plant and it involves adding another intake structure."

"We're talking to TVA and the (U.S. Army) Corps of Engineers," Davis said. Because the construction project is a federal project, it would require working with several permitting agencies, from TVA to land management, archeological and fisheries groups, Davis added. "We are trying to expedite this, but it is a big project. It could take a couple of years," he stressed.

The simpler maintenance project, adding the riprap and using existing pilings, would require a less extensive permitting procedure, he said.

The utilities board also discussed a plan to explore an additional water supply in the Piney Utility area. The Piney Utility District currently produces 300 gallons per minute for most of the year.

However, during the summer, the system sometimes has to be shut down because of a low water table. Bradfield Environmental proposed to survey for additional water supply by drilling a minimum of three test wells. Additional supply is needed for the Piney and Tellico Village area, officials said.