Junaluska Assembly seeks grant for wastewater study, details water-system spending plan

Carroll Woody, Director, told the Junaluska Assembly Community Council on Jan. 13 that the Assembly has applied for a grant to conduct a wastewater study similar to its recent water study and is pursuing funding for water-system improvements.

Woody reported that all residential water meters have been installed and that larger commercial meters will be replaced as they fail. The minutes record a non-revenue water percentage down 16.21% and no reported leaks for the month. The service charge referenced in the minutes (listed as 1302324.2026) has been added and some customers are paying in 2026 while others remain on repayment schedules.

The council reviewed the capital improvement plan for 2025-26, which lists line items including tank repairs ($222,762) and hydrant work ($131,300) and shows a total of $2,240,676. The minutes also list a reserve balance of $263,223.55 and show water/sewer finances running $522,027 "to the good." The minutes do not specify which grant program was used for the wastewater study application.

Why it matters: water and wastewater planning affects service reliability and local rates. The Assembly's combination of an applied-for wastewater study and a multi-line CIP indicates the community is prioritizing near-term infrastructure work while tracking reserve and operational balances.

The minutes record no formal vote on the grant application; the director presented the status items as part of the Director's Report and staff will continue with grant and procurement steps as described in the minutes. The Assembly also noted eight commercial meters still require manual reads.