The Henry County Public Service Authority (PSA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) met at Philpott Lake on May 30 to sign a three-million-gallon water storage agreement that provides extra water allotments over a 50-year period to the county to help with economic development or any emergency situations such as water shortages or contamination.
Currently, the PSA manages 380 miles of pipes with over 12,000 households using their services. The Corps manages Philpott Dam, so agreements about its usage are needed between the two entities.
The agreement “will ensure our community has access to this water for the next 50 years,” Dale Wagoner, general manager of the PSA, said before signing the agreement.
“Water scarcity is increasingly becoming an issue for many communities around the world,” said Stuart Bowman, chairman of the PSA Board. “Our partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ensures that Henry County will have the necessary resources to continue providing for our residents and to accommodate for future growth in our industrial sector.”
According to a 2023 United Nations World Water Development Report, the global demand for freshwater will exceed the available supply by 40 percent by 2030. In 2018, the PSA secured an agreement with USACE to provide 3 million gallons per day of storage capacity. An expansion of the PSA’s service area and increased industrial and commercial water usage have driven the need for more capacity.
To ensure local demand can still be met, the PSA proactively purchased the storage rights from USACE for $904,294. The agreement guarantees that the PSA will avoid any future price increases caused by fluctuations in water markets.
Philpott Lake serves as the primary water source for the PSA through the Smith River. The Philpott Dam is operated by USACE who oversees water flows from the reservoir.
The agreement between the PSA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is vital for ensuring water security, facilitating long-term planning, building community confidence, and providing legal protection for water withdrawal rights, all of which are essential for addressing the challenges of ensuring access to quality drinking water in the face of increasing scarcity and environmental pressures.
Bowman added the agreement “will allow Henry County the usage or withdrawal of 3 million gallons of water per day for the next 50 years.” He noted the agreement “didn’t happen overnight,” but was in the works 10 years ago, in 2014.
“It took us about five years to get to the point where we could actually go in and do a study,” said Col. Brad Morgan, Commander of the 57th District of the Army Corps of Engineers. He added that over the last five years, the project got over the finish line.
“I won’t be around when the life of this agreement expires,” he added, saying it was a substantial agreement.
Morgan said that Philpott is a beautiful lake that “is near and dear to a lot of the local community’s heart.” The lake is considered a multi-purpose project. It provides power, recreation, and water to the community.
“This is a monumental occasion for our community, and it ensures our access to quality drinking water for our community, our residents, our businesses, and our industries for the next 50 years,” said Wagoner who was happy to see the completion of the agreement.
“I can’t say that it was hard because the Army Corps of Engineers went above and beyond to work with us to do the reallocation study and come to an agreement, but it was a long process,” he added.
“While today’s event isn’t likely to have great fanfare, generations from now will look back and say, ‘Hey, they did good. They did the right thing to make sure we had quality water today,’” Bowman said, and added that water is a vital resource. It not only helps with economic development but also ensures food safety, energy production, and survival.
“We can’t live without good water, and this is one of the best sources of water that you’re going to find,” Bowman said, and noted the agreement protects the county from future disputes about access to the water. “You are making sure that the citizens of our communities are having safe drinking water both today and in the future.”
