LOGAN-TODD REGIONAL WATER COMMISSION

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A Water System Partnerships Case Study

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Source Water Intake

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Logan-Todd Regional
Water Commission

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Creating the Logan-Todd Regional Water
Commission

Background

The Logan-Todd Regional Water Commission (LTRWC), a major partnership effort
involving 12 water systems across three counties, took more than 12 years to fully
implement. Creation of the LTRWC and associated partnerships involved one of the
biggest loans in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) history and the first Drinking
Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) loan in Kentucky. It was also the first regional
water treatment plant in the state of Kentucky. The partnership allowed the water
systems to access appropriate funding to ensure that customers were provided with
safe and affordable drinking water, consistent service, and that the region could
prosper from new economic growth opportunities.

The LTRWC includes water systems from across three Kentucky counties: Todd County,
Logan County, and Christian County. The water systems were predominantly small,
each serving between 300 and 3,000 customers. They also varied in ownership
structures including municipally-owned water systems with their own water treatment
plants, water districts that purchased finished water, and a privately-owned water
system.

The 12 water systems were using source water from springs as well as some lakes and
rivers which were all prone to drought. In 1995 the 11 founding water systems joined

HIGHLIGHTS

Challenge Statement:

Water systems in three
counties in Kentucky needed a
new long-term water source
because of drought, water
quality concerns, and aging
infrastructure.

Partnership Features:

Twelve water systems with
varying ownership structures
joined together to form the
LTRWC. The LTRWC provides
water from the Cumberland
River in Tennessee to the
participating water systems.

Primary Benefits:

Collaboration between the
counties, water systems, and
communities allowed the
LTRWC to access additional
funding and addressed water
quality concerns at a regional
scale.

Accomplishments:
The creation of the LTRWC
provided a reliable source of
drinking water which attracted
new industries to the area. The
innovative approach has
resulted in accolades from
numerous organizations.

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together, with the 12th partner, Oak Grove, joining in 1999, The LTRWC was
designed to take water from the Cumberland River in Tennessee (for which a permit
was necessary because the intake was across state lines), and to distribute the
water to the communities back in Kentucky.

Critical Drivers

The LTRWC was formed due to these critical drivers:

4 Drought: The drought in 1988 impacted all the water systems involved
leading to source water shortages.

4 Economic Development Impacts: New businesses were unable to locate in
the area because of the inadequate potable water supplies.

4 Aging Infrastructure: Many of the water systems were unable to obtain
adequate funding to upgrade their water system's aging infrastructure.

4 Concerns with Source Water Quality: Some sources contained nematodes
and Cryptosporidium, raising concerns about water quality.

Water System Partnerships as a Solution

Water systems across the country face a myriad of challenges, including technical,
managerial, and financial (TMF) capacity issues. Water system partnerships refer to
a range of collaborative activities in which water systems can pool resources,
expertise, and experience. Bringing water systems together through partnerships
can help reduce noncompliance issues, risks to public health, and redundant
workloads. Water system partnerships are informal or formal relationships that
help water systems to identify opportunities to leverage benefits that would be
difficult to achieve independently.

The creation of the LTRWC is an example of a joint power agency partnership. Prior
to the creation of the LTRWC, individual water systems treated or purchased water
and distributed water to communities. When faced with source water, water
quality, and infrastructure challenges, they needed to assess alternative ways to
provide safe drinking water to their customers. The solution was to create a new
entity to provide water for all 12 water systems.

Building Blocks of Partnership

The drought in 1988 prompted the City of RusselIville and surrounding communities
to start looking for new water sources.

By 1991, the Logan County Water Advisory Group was formed as a committee of
the Logan County Chamber of Commerce. The goal of this organization was to
determine the best way to meet the long-term water needs of Logan County.

In the summer of 1995, the LTRWC was formed by the Logan County fiscal court.
The 11 participating water systems in Logan and Todd counties appointed
representatives to the LTRWC board.

In 1996 an engineering study was completed that addressed the long-term
water needs of the two counties. The study identified the need for a new
water source for the region, in order for the water systems to maintain an
adequate supply in the future. The study identified several short-term and

TYPES OF PARTNERSHIPS

Informal Cooperation:
Coordination with other water
systems, but without contractual
obligations. Informal partnerships
may consist of partners sharing
equipment and agreeing to help
each other with emergency
response management.

Contractual Assistance:

Setup a contract with another
water system or service provider
where the contract and service
ultimately remain under the water
system's control. This type of
partnership may include a water
system purchasing water from
another water system or
contracting out operations and
management to another water
system.

Joint Power Agency:

Creation of a new entity designed

to serve the water systems that

form it. These partnered water

systems may share water system

management, operators, or source

water.

Ownership Transfer:

Merger or mutual transfer of an
existing entity or creation of a new
entity. This type of relationship
may be represented by one water
system being acquired by another,
or by being connected to another
water system physically, financially,
and managerially.

One of the communities' original water
sources.

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long-term actions to enhance water availability among existing water
systems, as well as long-term goals to address the source water issue.

In 1998, several potential funding agencies were unwilling to provide
financial support for the intermediate options since they did not resolve
the underlying water quality and quantity problems. LTRWC would have to
build the entire project at once if it was to be successful. By the end of
1998, all 11 water systems had agreed to water purchase contracts with
the LTRWC, and the project was poised to become a reality.

In January of 1999, Governor Patton provided a $2M grant to start the
project planning and design. In mid-1999, Oak Grove joined as the 12th
member of the LTRWC.

By mid-2001, the design work finished, and 17 construction contracts were
awarded totaling over $60M for construction of the project.

A formal grand opening was held on May 27, 2003 at the new regional
water treatment plant. By the end of the summer of 2003, all 12 water
systems were fully involved, and the regional water system was
operational.

EXPANDING OPERATIONS SINCE 2003

In 2008, several of the LTRWC water systems partnered to secure over
$2M in grant funding for infrastructure improvements.

In 2016, the City of Springfield, Tennessee became the 13th member,
adding over 12,000 households served by the LTRWC.

In 2018, construction began on the 99,000 linear foot interconnection
from the Guthrie, Tennessee water treatment plant to the City of
Springfield, Tennessee.

The LTRWC partnership has remained strong for over 25 years.

Best Practices and Successful Strategies

The LTRWC was a success due to the involvement of water system and
state partners, the availability of necessary funding, and the collaborative
approaches taken to address the water systems' shared concerns.

Key Players

4
*

The water systems (public and private) who joined the LTRWC
worked collaboratively to address shared challenges.

Governor Patton who strongly supported partnerships and water
system resiliency pushed water systems to join the LTRWC.

USDA provided funding.

Kentucky's DWSRF provided funding.

Drought
prompts
water
systems to
consider
alternative
sources.

LTRWC is
formed by
the Logan

County
fiscal court.

1996

Logan-Todd

denied
funding. 11
water systems
in Logan-Todd
agree to buy
water from
the LTRWC.

1999

Completion
of the design

for the
source water
project.

1988

Logan County
Water Advisory
Group is formed.

1995

Engineering

study
completed. A
new water
source is
needed.

1998

$2M grant
provided for
source water
project. Oak
Grove joins the
LTRWC.

2001

Formal grand
opening of the

new water
plant with all
water systems
online.

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Funding

The total project cost of the regional water system project was about $77M, USDA
provided a $49.8M loan, one of the largest in USDA history, to LTRWCto support
infrastructure development and improvement. The Kentucky DWSRF also provided
the state's first DWSRF loan totaling $10.4M. Kentucky Infrastructure Authority,
Department of Housing and Urban Development's Community Development Block
Grant Program, and the state all provided grants to the LTRWC.

Outreach & Gaining Buy-in

Clear communication among the water system partners helped them work together
to avoid competition and secure funding that would have been inaccessible without
such partnership. Explaining the partnership process at the beginning, going door-to-
door to ensure customers understood the project, and partnering with the local
media helped the LTRWC gain and maintain buy-in from the public. Community
outreach sought to minimize historic rivalries, convey the idea that no community
was better than another, and communicate that the project benefits, while different
for each community, would be good for all. Holding public meetings and focusing on
shared challenges helped gain buy-in from water systems as well as the public.

Partnership Benefits

4 Source Water Improvement: The region was facing a source water challenge
with many sources impacted by drought conditions and others in need of
significant infrastructure repairs. Creating the LTRWC and working in unison
allowed the water systems to access appropriate funding to ensure that
customers from all water systems who joined the LTRWC could have access to
safe and affordable drinking water. The regionalization project focused on the
water system's shared challenges and community goals to provide safe drinking
water to current and potential residents of the region.

4 Economic Development Opportunities: The LTRWC brought new businesses
and industries into the area including Hovey Electric, Lake Painting, Refine Tile,
MHM Metal, and many more. To coordinate projects and fund the water
systems, it was vital for funding authorities and local and state government
officials to understand the economic benefits the LTRWC would provide.

4 Good Neighbors and Resilient Utilities: Taking a collaborative approach limited
competition between communities and allowed elected officials from multiple
jurisdictions to seek funding in unison for a single water treatment plant. In
2008, several of the water system partners required funding to upgrade
infrastructure components including water mains, storage tanks, and pump
stations. By working on their behalf and using the LTRWC's reputation for
partnering, they secured over $2M in grant funding for these infrastructure
improvements that would have otherwise been unobtainable without the
regional partnership.

The success of the regional project has garnered nation-wide recognition for the
water systems involved and the LTRWC itself.

TAILORED OUTREACH

The LTRWC utilized tailored
communications tactics to engage
water system partners, community
members, and funders using the
following approach:

1)	Find a common goal.

2)	Work together to avoid
competition and secure more
funding.

3)	Communicate needs to
customers, by explaining the
process at the beginning, going
door-to-door, and partnering
with the local media.

4)	Clarify that benefits will be
different for each community
involved in a regionalization
project - but that every
community will see enough
benefit to justify their
participation.

Treatment plant in Guthrie, KY that sells
water to the LTRWC water systems.

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Learning from the L TRWC Partnership

There is a lot to be learned from the creation, expansion, and preservation of the
LTRWC. Regions facing similar challenges that are looking to engage in partnerships
should consider what worked well for the LTRWC, summarized in the following
steps:

4 Find a state or local representative who will support partnerships and
regional water systems.

4 Establish a regular meeting time for stakeholders to discuss progress.

4 Include stakeholders (funders, community members, and water systems)
from the beginning.

4 Address issues of unfairness and rivalry to bring communities together,

4 Be open about the limitations of each community.

4 Be mindful that partnerships are not about losing local water systems, but
rather gaining reliable potable water supply for the future of all communities
involved.

Establishing a common goal, identifying and engaging stakeholders early on,
prioritizing communication, and obtaining funding, all promote collaboration which
develops a strong foundation for a partnership.

INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT WATER SYSTEM PARTNERSHIPS?

Water system partnerships can help water systems overcome challenges
including aging infrastructure, compliance challenges, and limited technical and
managerial capabilities. Partnerships provide opportunities to collaborate on
compliance solutions, and operations and maintenance activities, which
increase capacity and enable water systems to provide safe water to their
communities.

To learn more about water system partnerships like the Logan-Todd Regional
Water Commission, visit EPA's Water System Partnerships website:

https://www.epa.gov/dwcapacitv/water-system-partnerships.

Pump station and construction of the
intake on the Cumberland River in
Clarksville, TN.

RESOURCES

To learn more about the LTRWC
and gather information about other
water system partnerships, follow
these links to online resources:

•	EPA Water System
Partnerships Website

•	LTRWC 2012 EPA Webinar

•	Additional water system
details about the LTRWC

Office of Water (4606M)

EPA 816-F-22-005

April 2022

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