Consolidated Utility District Annual Reports

After the turn of each year, Consolidated Utility District (CUD) creates an annual report that speaks to the accomplishments of our various departments and the growth of our distribution network and customer base. See the sidebar for links to the PDFs of each report that was mailed to our ratepayers.
This year’s report carries a variety of data points that speak to our growth during the past year. It’s also important for our ratepayers to know the following truths about CUD:
- We exist to serve our ratepayers.
- We are funded by tap fees and monthly bills. We receive no tax dollars.
- CUD is a nonprofit public utility.
- State law allowed for the creation of CUD.
- CUD is subject to all Tennessee state government meeting laws.
- We operate by EPA and state conservation regulations.
Highlights of 2023 Annual Report (PDF viewable here)
- We provide several outstanding reasons to work with CUD.
- Our department manages two main functions: Through Developer Services, CUD reviews plans for subdivisions and commercial sites, verifies water availability, works with our Engineering Consultant, and inspects construction sites. Our Capital Improvement Plan is the strategy for replacing and/or
extending water mains; replacing, expanding, or adding new pump stations and tanks; and expanding the Water Treatment Plant. Our department performs project management and site inspection, works with our Engineering Consultant on the scope and requirements of projects, acquisition of easements and/or property, and reviews designs, drawings, submittals, construction pay estimates, and other documentation. - Our Maintenance Team performs tasks that are vital to the ongoing operation of our water distribution system. This work ranges from water leak repair to fire hydrant installation to replacement and upgrades of water meters.
- STEP Systems (Septic Tank Effluent Pump) enable CUD to manage the wastewater needs of subdivisions throughout the county. Since 2020, CUD has worked to upgrade STEP riser lids on homeowners’ properties as needed with stronger, longer-lasting models. This project has involved more than 3,900 homes.
- Water loss is a performance metric evaluated by the state Comptroller’s office. Any percentage of loss greater than 40% places a utility subject to review by the state. During 2023, CUD’s water loss averaged roughly 8% to 12% per month — well under the required percentage. CUD also measures water leaks per million gallons each month. Our rolling 12-month average in 2023 varied from roughly 1,100 gallons to about 800 gallons.
- Like other public water utilities, CUD is a target for online criminal activity. During 2023, there were 154,234 attempts to breach CUD’s defenses. None succeeded.
- Our GIS Team (Geographic Information System) is an integral part of CUD’s workforce. In 2023, we mapped 4,294 meters, 259.67 miles of STEP mains, and edited or mapped over 40,000 water assets and hydrants for Rutherford County. Mapping ensures that we have crews digging in the right spots. Our data helps CUD stop pipe breaks before they happen and helps us plan for expansion. Mapping also ensures proper water pressures to your home or business.
Highlights of 2021-2022 Annual Report (PDF viewable here)
Reasons Why Tap Water Is Best
• One gallon of tap water costs approximately one cent. To purchase a case of bottled water, you typically spend several dollars. Plus, the individual plastic bottles each require 350-500 years to break down in a landfill.
• Your drinking water is safe and meets or exceeds all state and federal health standards. The proof is found in our annual Water Qualty Report. We test our water continuously and report our findings to the State of Tennessee and EPA.
• Chlorination is required by Tennessee state law, and more than 90 percent of all U.S. water treatment systems use chlorine.
Engineering
• During the fiscal year, CUD delivered 107 “Will Serve” letters promising water service to 69 commercial lots, 1,786 multi-family lots/units (townhomes, apartments, etc.), and 5,174 single family lots.
• CUD approved 77 water plans. This refers to the final step of the review process after which the final invoice for review/inspection fees is issued.
CUD-approved water plans indicate completion of the review process.
• 63 projects covering 2,563 lots (including residential and commercial) were under construction (as of Fiscal Year end).
• 55 projects covering 1,930 lots (residential and commercial) stood ready to begin construction (as of Fiscal Year end).
• 87 letters were sent to property owners concerning water line easement acquisition on capital improvement projects.
• 224 properties were researched for existing water line easements and/or ownership pertaining to proposed developments and new water taps.
STEP Systems/Wastewater
• Since 2020, CUD has worked to replace riser lids on homeowners’ properties as needed with stronger, longer-lasting models. This project involved more than 3,900 homes. To date, we have completed over 2,314 homes.
• At the end of Fiscal Year 2022, 65 subdivisions housed STEP systems.
• Eight STEP systems were under construction and another five were ready to start.
Highlights of 2020-2021 Annual Report (PDF viewable here)
Water Quality
• CUD published its annual Water Quality Report at www.cudrc.com/water-quality/water-quality-reports/ and mailed copies in our printed billing statements. Highlights include:
• Per state and federal law, CUD tests hundreds of water samples at our water treatment plant and in the distribution system. Tap water is analyzed even more than bottled water.
• For 14 different kinds of contaminants – including lead – CUD had zero violations. Your water has a clean bill of health, according to the Environmental Protection Agency and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.
• CUD uses chlorine at a rate of 2 to 2.5 parts per million in its daily treatment process. Chlorination is the most popular method of water disinfection worldwide, and it is required by Tennessee state law. Chlorine is also considered effective in eliminating COVID-19.
Water Treatment Plant
• To support the continuing growth of Rutherford County, the K. Thomas Hutchinson Water Treatment Plant completed a $15.5 million expansion in 2020. The upgrade enables the plant to deliver up to 32 million gallons of water per day.
• The plant operates at a zero discharge. The facility sends no materials back to Stones River or any wastewater plant in the area.
• In 2020, the plant deployed a machine called the FlowCam Cyano to screen for bacteria which can potentially become toxic. The FlowCam uses a red laser and image recognition software to separate cyanobacteria from other algae in sample water. This helps CUD to eliminate bacteria and preserve water quality.
• The plant averaged 12.9 million gallons per day, and the highest monthly total for production was June 2021 when the plant produced 460.441 million gallons.
Infrastructure/Capital Improvement Plan
During our fiscal year, CUD spent just over $26.3 million to operate the water distribution system. That number includes the operation of our water treatment plant, consumables, and the costs of equipment. CUD typically spends $10-$12 million each year to upgrade and expand water infrastructure. The following are the largest upgrade efforts the utility is currently managing.
• South Almaville Loop – Shores Road: $3,389,000 – Replaces outdated, undersized water mains with new lines for better flow and pressure with lower maintenance costs
• Highway 231 North Water Main Replacement: $2,363,072 – Replaces outdated, undersized water mains with new lines for better flow and pressure with lower maintenance costs
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Storage Fee: $2,083,090 – Provides additional water supply capacity to the water treatment plant to support customer growth
• Rocky Fork Road to Tank: $1,925,590 – Installs larger, longer-lasting pipes for better flow and pressure with lower maintenance costs
• Walnut Grove Water Main: $1,767,808 – Installs larger, longer-lasting pipes for better flow and pressure with lower maintenance costs
• Rocky Fork Pump Station: $1,611,500 – Replaces a pump station for better pressure zone efficiencies in conjunction with water main replacements
• DMA Stations: $830,000 – Improves monitoring of flows in the water distribution system to locate leaks before they become major problems
• Asbury Lane and Burnt Knob Road: $716,842 – Installs larger, longer-lasting pipes that deliver better flow and pressure with lower maintenance costs
• East Lyons Road and Valley View Road Water Main Extensions: $613,129 – Extends water mains in areas where water service was not available and replaces valves that are not functioning properly
• Triple Crown Farms Service Line Replacements: $230,685 – Installs new pipes and adds check valves to fire hydrants for better protection from reverse flow that could contaminate water mains
Information Technology
As of June, myCUD had more than 4,000 downloads among our ratepayers. As a reminder, myCUD is available for iPhone and Android on the iPhone App Store and the Google Play Store. myCUD provides a number of customer-friendly functions including 24/7 account access, billing history, and one-click contact with Customer Service or CUD’s Facebook page.
CUD uses a layered cybersecurity approach. Before data can be brought into CUD’s network, it must travel through two layers of protection. Once data is inside CUD’s protected network, we have additional security through our email provider, as well as our end points (servers, desktops, laptops, and mobile devices).
STEP (Septic Tank Effluent Pump) Systems
• 1,161 STEP tank installations
• 442 flow tests conducted on fire hydrants
• 268 building code reviews
Water availability service requests:
• 56 commercial lots
• 993 multi-family lots
• 7,371 single family lots
• 1,122 plans reviewed and plats signed
• 355 service orders completed
• Because of the limestone in Rutherford County soils, water does not drain easily. However, CUD can place a STEP (Septic Tank Effluent Pump) field on those soils, which provides the foundation for water service and allows establishment of many of the homes and subdivisions in Rutherford County.
• Beginning in March 2021, CUD began repair and replacement of STEP riser lids throughout the county. By the end of the Fiscal Year, CUD had completed this work in seven subdivisions.
Customer Service
• During a typical month, our Customer Service team manages 650 to 750 online service orders, along with roughly 200 new tap purchases.
• The number of customer accounts has seen steady growth. In 2018-19, the total was just under 57,000. In 2019-2020, we served more than 59,000. In 2020-2021, CUD served more than 62,000.
Highlights of 2019-2020 Annual Report (PDF viewable here)
Our response to COVID-19
• CUD uses chlorine in its daily treatment processes. Chlorine is highly effective in removing or inactivating viruses that are even more resistant than COVID-19.
• Our typical daily range of chlorine is 2 – 2.5 parts per million, which eliminates viruses.
• The COVID-19 virus has not been detected in drinking water.
• Conventional filtration methods used by water utilities either remove or inactivate the COVID-19 virus.
• CUD tests at least 120 samples of water each month in compliance with state and federal law. Tap water is more regulated than bottled water.
Expansion of Water Treatment Plant
• The newly expanded water treatment plant delivers a capacity of up to 32 million gallons of water per day.
• Twelve new filters are now in service. Each can handle 1.5 million gallons of water flow per day.
• The plant’s new pipe gallery measures 320 feet in length and contains all piping for the filters.
• The new backwash basin will handle a maximum of 600,000 gallons twice each day.
• Four tanks inside the plant each hold 9,600 gallons of bleach used for disinfection. The plant’s generator can produce up to 20 gallons of bleach per minute.
• During fiscal year 2019-2020, the plant’s highest flow total month was September 2019 (487 million gallons, a 10.7 percent increase over the same month previous year).
• The plant’s expansion cost $15.5 million overall. Construction had no effect on the plant’s budget, aside from expenses related to maintenance. The expansion has been accounted for in each year’s Capital Improvement Plan.
Infrastructure
• In 2019, CUD signed a $1.3 million contract with Itron Inc., an energy and water resource management company, to improve metering capabilities for the county’s water distribution system. This means CUD will also be able to gather data from our office without deploying a vehicle.
• During our fiscal year, CUD spent over $32 million to manage the water distribution system. That number includes the operation of our water treatment plant, salaries and wages, consumables, depreciation, and the costs of meters and other equipment.
Capital Improvement Projects
• K. Thomas Hutchinson Water Treatment Plant Expansion: $3,102,000 – Plant maximum capacity grows from 16 million gallons per day to 32 million gallons per day
• Manchester Highway/Epps Mill Water Line Replacement:
$1,715,000 – Replaces outdated, undersized water mains. The new lines provide better flow and pressure with lower maintenance costs.
Manchester Highway/Epps Mill Water Line Replacement
• Rocky Fork Pump Station: $350,000 – Relocates the pump station for efficiencies in conunction with the water main replacement projects along Rocky Fork – Almaville Road.
• East Compton Road Replacement
Covers the cost of improvements planned for the Gatewood Section 1 Wastewater System and excavation and rehab of buried risers related to operation of STEP system tanks.
• Rocky Fork – Almaville Line Replacement – Phase 2: $200,000
• District Metered Areas (DMAs) Development – smaller zones for smarter monitoring of water loss and quicker, easier leak detection.
• Wastewater Facilities Rehab: $250,000 – Relocated a water main to minimize risk to a nearby residential structure. Replaces outdated, undersized water mains. The new lines provide better flow and pressure with lower maintenance costs.
Operations
• As of June 30, CUD operated 61 recirculating sand filter treatment systems in Rutherford County, with 6,452 STEP tanks. This is an increase of 9 percent over fiscal year 2018-2019 when CUD operated 5,905 tanks.
• CUD’s Maintenance Team installed 2,811 taps, compared to 2,201 in fiscal year 2018-2019 – an increase of 27 percent.
• The CUD Maintenance Team also repaired 983 water line leaks, compared to 759 during the previous year – an increase of 29 percent.
Engineering
• Service area adjustments with Smyrna transferred 683 acres to CUD and 66 acres from Murfreesboro Water Resources Department to CUD.
• Engineering fulfilled 221 service orders, compared to 169 the previous fiscal year.
• Tested 449 fire hydrants versus 415 the previous fiscal year.
• Performed 593 run tests at STEP tank installation sites, compared to 438 the previous year – an increase of 35 percent.
Information Technology
• Repelled an average of 1,000 spoof attempts per month and two malware attempts per week.
• 250,180 attacks on CUD’s online firewall last year (685 attempts per day or 20,848 attempts per month). None were successful.
• CUD averages 171 daily phishing/malware attempts via email.
Customer Service
• Managed an average of 300 calls per day (for six CSRs) and 1,500 calls per week. During the busiest times, each CSR could average 75+ calls per day.
• Processed an average of 150-175 new applications for service per week.