— As the city of Huntsville continues to plan for residential and industrial growth in southern Limestone, officials with the county’s Water & Sewer Authority say the county could soon find itself in need of more water.

The authority is considering a plan that would involve building a water pipeline 30 inches in diameter under the Tennessee River and across more than 1 acre of wetlands property owned by the Tennessee Valley Authority. The pipeline would enable the LCWSA to buy 10 million gallons per day from Decatur Utilities, and would serve the southwestern portion of the county.

A public notice issued last month by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sought to solicit comments from residents or agencies concerning the proposal. The deadline for comments was May 9.

Lisa Morris, who works in the regulatory branch of the USACE said she was not aware of any negative comments concerning the project. She said some agencies have requested precautions to ensure the safety of endangered species and the integrity of any archaeological artifacts on the TVA-owned property.

The public notice said a threatened and endangered species survey and biological assessment was submitted with the USACE permit application. It also said correspondence between the LCWSA and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service noted the existence of the threatened but not federally protected Pink mucket pearly mussel and the Rough pigtoe mussel in the vicinity.

The public notice said the Alabama State Lands Division has issued a submerged pipeline right-of-way contract with the LCWSA for the project, but the Alabama Department of Emergency Management would have to issue a water quality certification. ADEM may also require a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit, and the LCWSA will have to develop a stormwater pollution prevention plan.

Despite the permit applications for the project, LCWSA Chairman Jim Moffatt said the authority had not yet voted to make it a reality. He said while he hasn’t polled each member, he feels there is support for the project.

“The permit application is three to five years, so if we do decide to do this, we’ve got everything lined up,” he said, adding the construction of the river pipeline would take from a year and a half to three years. “In a best-case scenario, (the project would be approved) this year. It would probably be next year before you see dirt fly.”

Moffatt estimated the cost of the project could be from $7 million to $10 million, but said loans to cover the work would amortize out over a period of 20 to 30 years. Part of the cost will be the construction of a pump station to pump the water from Decatur. He said the ability to provide more water to a growing portion of the county outweighs the costs.

Moffatt said the LCWSA owns property on the Elk River in northwest Limestone County that could also provide a source of water, but it would be too costly to route the water to the southern part of the county.

“We have to have more sources of water over the next 20 years, and we’ll need to double our current supply. Buying water from Decatur is a good option for us,” he said. “We’re one big industry away from reaching our capacity, and we don’t want to reach our capacity. We want excess capacity.”

Moffatt said Huntsville is moving forward to develop roads and infrastructure in the portions it has annexed in accordance with the city’s long-term plan. If Huntsville is able to land a large industry, he said, he wants LCWSA to have plenty of available water.

“Huntsville is planning to spend a ton of money and (city leaders) are convinced that quadrant will be developed,” he said. “The last thing the water authority wants to be accused of is making it impossible for a big industry to come.”