Cullman Council gives first reading to $5.09 million loan to replace 30‑inch water transmission main

The Cullman City Council held a first reading July 6 of an ordinance to issue a $5,090,000 state revolving fund (SRF) loan to replace the city’s 30‑inch primary transmission water main.

Councilman Paul Schaffer described the project as a critical infrastructure upgrade and asked city staff to summarize design and funding details. David Haines, a city utilities staff member, told the council the loan package represents initial SRF funding through the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) and "amounts to 50% of the total requested amount," with the project covering roughly 9,200 linear feet of 30‑inch pipeline originally installed in the mid‑1960s.

Haines said the design intent is to install the new transmission main adjacent to the existing line and to abandon the old pipe in place to avoid service interruptions: "The specifics will be determined in design of the project, but the intent is abandonment in place and replacement of a new pipeline." The ordinance was presented as a first reading and will be considered for final adoption at the council’s next meeting.

Why it matters: the transmission main carries the city’s primary domestic water supply into downtown, and the council and staff described the work as necessary to maintain reliable conveyance. The financing plan uses SRF proceeds to cover a substantial portion of up-front costs, with remaining details to be defined in project design and bidding.

Next steps: the council scheduled final consideration of the ordinance at the next regular meeting; staff will return with final loan documents and any design updates before a vote.