As you likely read in last week’s Hickman County Times, the Water Authority of Dickson County has elected to appeal the state’s decision to deny its proposed sewage treatment plant for Hickman County, with discharge of up to 12 million gallons per day into the exceptional Tennessee waterway Lick Creek.
Friends of Lick Creek remains steadfast in our fight to Save Lick Creek and Save Hickman County from the efforts of the WADC. As you remember, more than 90 percent of the sewage the WADC proposes for the East Hickman plant would come from Williamson and Dickson counties. Hickman County should not become the dumping ground for our wealthier neighbors, at the expense of our natural resources and quality of life.
We will not back down from this battle and have engaged legal counsel to intervene on behalf of Friends of Lick Creek to support TDEC’s final decision. This will likely be a long process.
You may continue to hear noise and political posturing from the WADC and Dickson County leadership as they work through the appeals process and challenge Hickman County. But rest assured, this is political posturing.
As we’ve said all along, Friends of Lick Creek is not against economic development for Hickman County. We are for smart growth. We are for the regionalized solution, which is supported by TDEC, to take sewage to the Cumberland River. We are for the WADC investing in its existing infrastructure.
If you remember, studies show that the WADC can increase its existing capacity by 40 percent if it were to fix the leaks in its existing lines! These initiatives do not require taking private land from Hickman County citizens for plants and sewer lines, or polluting a pristine Hickman County waterway.
One must wonder if the real issue is finding capacity or if the priority is expanding its service area farther into Hickman County and beyond.
The WADC does not have Hickman County’s best interest at heart and has ignored the citizens of Hickman County for years as it pursued its permit application. Even at the public hearing their message resonated that “we know what you need better than you do.” We disagree. The State of Tennessee disagrees.
Continuing to pursue a new plant in Hickman County is not the solution. Finding a long-term regional solution to the Cumberland River is the right step, as TDEC clearly stated in its denial. The right solution is not always the easiest, nor the cheapest. We believe in doing what is right, and we will continue our fight.
AMANDA MATHIS and RODES HART
Save Lick Creek