Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam announced last week his appointment of a steering committee to develop a statewide plan for future water availability. The plan, TN H2O, will include an assessment of current water resources and recommendations to ensure an abundance of water to support future population and economic growth. Concerns over the use of the Memphis Sands Aquifer and aging infrastructure, coupled with the estimated doubling of the state’s population in the next 50 years, were driving forces in the evolution of TN H2O.
The steering committee, comprised of leaders from federal, state, and local governments; industry; academia; environmental advocacy groups; and public utilities, will submit a draft of TN H2O to the governor prior to the anticipated public comment period in October 2018. ECOS members of the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation (TDEC), including Commissioner Bob Martineau and Deputy Commissioner Dr. Shari Meghreblian, will serve on the committee, and TDEC will oversee the development of the plan. A full list of steering committee members can be found here.
