(Photo: Larry McCormack / The Tennessean) State environmental officials asked Tennessee Gov.
Bill Lee for more funding to repair and upgrade municipal water and sewer infrastructure on Tuesday.
Without the required maintenance, old pipes can burst, sewage can back up and cities can’t grow.
A focus on rural, small towns One of the Lee administration’s top priorities is rural economic development, which became the focus of discussions.
Lee, reiterating his priority, asked how the department selects utilities.
It sometimes picks small towns for loans, he said, but they don’t always accept because they would have to increase customer rates.
This year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency granted Tennessee an additional $13 million, Salyers said, but he needed the additional state money to take advantage of the federal funds.
Tennessee needs $15.6 billion for aging sewer and drinking water systems through 2040, according to a state report released in December.
Typically, TDEC makes 20 to 30 low- or no-interest loans from the State Revolving Fund each year.
“I think there is some real opportunity there for us to advance your vision," Salyers told Lee.

KARACHI: The Supreme Court-mandated Commission on Water and Sanitation summoned on Monday the owner of a private school built near the sewerage plant on November 5.
The commission directed the other party to provide a copy of the complaint.
The commission had earlier issued notices to the school, Sindh Industrial Trading Estate (SITE) Association, and others in previous hearings of the case.
The school was built in place of the company.
However, he mentioned that opening a school in an industrial area is against the law.
The sewerage waste of S3 plant lies at the posterior end of the school.
The report regarding the provision of clean drinking water in all schools of Sindh was also submitted and made part of the record.
The report further stated that a survey of 5,929 government schools of Sindh has been completed, out of which 4,466 schools had access to clean drinking water.
The remaining schools will be provided with clean water by December 2018.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 30th, 2018.

Klamath County commissioners are holding off on making a drought declaration in order to ensure their timing is appropriate to help irrigators this summer.
Though commissioners were expected to make the declaration Tuesday, Commissioner Donnie Boyd asked to have the issue removed from the agenda to be considered at a later date.
Boyd said he understands emergency policies regarding stock water may only last six months from the declaration of a drought, so he wanted to take time to ensure commissioners would not be taking action too early.
“I think we need to study the timing and be absolutely correct with our timing,” he said.
Commissioners began discussing a possible drought declaration last week in light of unseasonably warm and dry weather this winter.
Commissioners said they are hopeful for rain and snow sometime during February or March, but if conditions do not change they said irrigating restrictions could be as severe as in 2001.
A declaration of a drought by commissioners would be forwarded to the state Drought Readiness Council then the governor’s office for approval.
Once approved, the county would have access to special resources from the state and federal government.
As the county prepared for drought conditions, the Oregon Water Resources Department has begun meeting with irrigators in the Upper Klamath Basin to discuss how it plans to enforce water rights this year.
The first meeting was scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday night at the Crater Lake Resort on Highway 62, while future meetings are scheduled for Thursday at 11:30 a.m. at the Chiloquin Community Center and Friday at 10 a.m. at Sprague River Community Center.

By: Commissioner Jim Chard Special to the Delray newspaper The City is engaged in an intensive effort to write a new Comprehensive Plan which will guide City staff and elected officials for the next 25 years.
A friend of mine used to say “if you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.” As long term residents, recent arrivals, and visitors who love our Village by the Sea, the Comprehensive plan is the very best way for you to make sure that our City evolves in the right direction and is prepared for what the next quarter century has in store for us.
Re-invigorating neighborhood retail and commerce – Many cities have revived their walkable corner markets and repurposed them as restaurants serving locally grown produce, galleries, specialty coffee, and co-op work space.
We require new development to underground utilities but the City as a whole does not have a policy.
Canopy trees – Speaking of trees, Delray has a “tree canopy” of around 20%, in some neighborhoods, like the Southwest communities, the canopy declines to 10%.
Canopy trees cool our streets (think Atlantic Avenue), generate gentle breezes, sequester carbon, provide homes for birds and wildlife, clean the air, and reduce water pollution.
Alternative mobility – Many residents are frustrated by traffic congestion and parking challenges and yet the City continues to maintain automobile friendly policies rather than encourage alternatives to the automobile.
And yet City regulations require significant parking space based on use, not evolving transportation technologies.
This is a long term trend the City is already recognizing (via recent regulations for Urban Agriculture) and should encourage as part of our thriving hospitality ecosystem.
These are just a few ideas which could be incorporated into our Comprehensive Plan.