After years of uncertainty about whether it was safe to drink their water or if there would be enough, residents in rural Eastern Henry County in West Tennessee will now have access to safe, reliable water.  Private groundwater well contamination and the lack of a public water supply greatly affected the residents of Springville, Tennessee causing health concerns and limiting any hope for economic development in their community.  At the same time, the folks in neighboring Sandy Beach learned that they could no longer pump water from their water source leaving them without a viable source for water as well.  Contaminated groundwater and no water source nearby left community leaders with few options, and all of them were very expensive for this rural area.

Through years of effort and with the help of many partners, they banded together to form the Springville Utility District, a new Utility District through the State of Tennessee.  With $2,788,500 from USDA Rural Development and funding from Delta Regional Authority (DRA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the State of Tennessee, Springville Utility District and Sandy Beach Water Association have made a way to provide safe, reliable water to their customers.

Almost 30 miles of water distribution lines and a new water tank is now providing families and businesses in Eastern Henry County the security most Americans take for granted. The dream of safe, reliable water, that many thought would never happen, is now a reality.  These families can rest assured they and their children will live healthier lives with safe potable water.

 USDA Rural Development’s Programs for Water and Utilities helps local governments, cooperatives and utility districts finance essential public infrastructure like reliable drinking water, wastewater and solid waste management, Telecommunications and Electricity.