The Town of Jonesborough Water Distribution is proud to serve over 14,000 customers in the Washington County area. Our system covers over 350 miles of water line which is fed and treated from the Nolichucky River. Our dedicated staff helps to ensure our customers have the cleanest and pristine potable water for their daily needs. With the growing population within our system, we do miles of water line maintenance and new construction every year. On average our team installs 5 taps a week for new construction, this can be more depending on the new subdivisions which are being created each year by local contractors. With a relatively small crew, our workers maintain 1,400 meters and 30 miles of waterline per person. Our team of first responders are always on call 24/7, after hours, holidays and all climate conditions to make sure our customers have quality drinking water as set by the AWWA Standards Act. During after hours for emergencies you can call 423.753.1040 and someone from dispatch will relay a message to one of our on call workers to assist you.
Contact
Kevin Brobeck | Utility Manager | 423.753.1009 |
General Contact | Town Hall | 423.753.1031 |
Water Department | 423.753.1040 |
Jonesborough’s Water Distribution Department is responsible for the maintenance and repair of all water lines in the regional system. The Water Distribution Director Kevin Brobeck can be reached at 423.753.1009. Kevin is a veteran of the United States Navy. Kevin has 15 years of experience in the water distribution field and holds a Distribution and Collection License from the State of Tennessee. Kevin is responsible for the engineering and planning for the water infrastructure for the Town of Jonesborough. The Water Distribution office is located at 110 Old State Route 34 and the hours are Monday through Friday from 7 am – 4 pm. The Town of Jonesborough Water Distribution has over 350 miles of water line in the ground and proudly serves over 14,000 residents of Washington County. Here at the Waster Distribution system we strive to give our customers the best service possible with pristine drinking water. Our Water Distribution staff use leak detection equipment and constantly search lines throughout the system for leaks and line breaks. Water loss due to breaks is a serious concern, and water customers are asked to report any unusual wet conditions they may observe along county roads or water line right-of-ways. In Northeast Tennessee, water leaks may not show up on the surface because the water finds underground sinkholes or caverns. In those situations, you often can hear water running, and customers are encouraged to report the sound of water running as well. Water loss can negatively impact all water customers if the loss requires an expensive expansion of the treatment facility before the improvements are really needed.
Director of Water Distribution
Allen Hicks is the Director of Water Distribution and takes care of the water line job estimates, oversees the daily task assignments of employees, leaks, taps, backflow prevention and customer complaints. Allen works and coordinates with the Utility Manger on planning upcoming projects and daily tasks. Allen can be reached at 423.753.1003.
Construction Supervisor
Jimmy Green is the Water Distribution Construction Supervisor and takes care of all the new waterline projects and TDEC Permits. takes care of all 811-water line locates for the Town. Jimmy has been with the Town for 15 years and is very knowledgeable of the water line layout and valves in the distribution system. Jimmy can be reached at 423.753.1000
Purchasing Clerk
Scott Rosenbaum is the Purchasing Clerk for the Town of Jonesborough and his job includes keeping up with the inventory stock that is needed in order to keep the Water Department operating on a daily basis. Scott gathers bid information for the Town to ensure that they get the best price possible on the items to be purchased. He also runs for and delivers parts and supplies to various departments to ensure that all jobs are done in a timely manner. Scott also codes bills to be paid and returns to the billing office. Scott has been with the Town for 24 years and can be reached at 423.753.1000
Reporting Water Problems
The Water Distribution Department has a line crew on-call after normal work hours and on weekends. The Town of Jonesborough answers the line, 423.753.1040, 24 hours/7 days a week. Line leaks or problems can be reported by calling this phone number, and the Dispatcher on duty will call out the on-call crew if needed.
Water Line Extensions
The Jonesborough Water System has a water line extension policy that establishes the conditions in which water service can be extended into areas of Washington County served by the Jonesborough system. In normal situations, the Water System will provide the labor and equipment to extend a line provided the person or persons making the extension request covers the cost of pipe and materials. An analysis of water volume available and water pressure must also be undertaken. Approval of any extension must be obtained from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, as well as the Jonesborough Board of Mayor and Aldermen.
Town of Jonesborough Meter Reading
Artie White is the Supervisor for Meter Reading. Artie has been with the Town of Jonesborough for 43 years. He started out working at the Town’s water plant for a year before moving to meter reading. Artie is certified by AWWA in meter testing and his many years of service have seen the town grow from 2200 customers to over 14,000. Artie oversees the daily functions of the meter department, working closely with Water Distribution on new water taps, cutoffs, billing and non-payment. Artie has a staff of four dedicated readers who are first responders that work in all kinds of climates to make sure every meter is read and the meters are running accurately. For any additional information regarding water service, you may call 423.753.1040.
The Water Distribution staff will provide a detailed breakdown of pipe and materials needed and a current cost-estimate based on the Town’s cost for those materials. Ten (10%) percent of the material cost must be made in advance of taking the extension request to the Jonesborough Board of Mayor and Aldermen and initiating the engineering plans that must go to the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation for approval. Once BMA and TDEC approval has been received, the entire materials cost must be paid before line construction begins.
Contact Town Hall for Extension Fees and Tap Fees.
Danny Edens is the Head Meter Reader and has been employed with the Town for 24 years. Danny also serves on the County Commission and has held office for 13 years.
Tammy White is a meter reader and has been employed by the Town of Jonesborough for 25 years.
Lisa Buckingham
Cobran Wilhoite
Ian Thompson
ALERT: JONESBOROUGH WATER METER PROJECT
GOOD NEWS! The Town of Jonesborough has partnered with Perma Corporation, Consolidated Pipe and Vepo Metering to upgrade all water meters with new Advanced Metering Reading (AMR) technology.
All water that enters your residence or business is currently measured through a manually read meter that records the amount of water being used.
With a new AMR meter, water usage information or “consumption” is recorded by the meter and that reading is transmitted to a receiver in the Meter Department vehicle as it drives by your residence or business. This will allow the town to get more accurate readings.
During the week of October 17, 2022, VEPO Metering will begin installing meters within our entire Water District which includes various areas of the town and county. Crews will have clearly marked vehicles with Town of Jonesborough and VEPO Metering on them. The installation process will take 8-12 months to complete. We anticipate a typical meter installation to take 20-25 minutes to complete. More details about the Town of Jonesborough’s Meter Replacement project will be announced next week.
**ATTENTION**
More information will be added to our website and social media during the next 2 weeks, including updates as the project progresses.
Replacement and Automated Meter Reading (AMR) Project
Updated 10/25/2022
Why are our water meters being replaced?
Over time, older meters and their moving parts wear out and are more prone to maintenance issues. As a result, they are less effective at tracking the total amount of water moving through them.
The Town of Jonesborough is replacing all water meters across our entire system with meters that perform reliably and accurately throughout their projected lifespan. This project is part of our strategic planning process to provide for the long-term needs of current and future customers.
What are the existing meters being replaced with?
AMR includes automated meter reading technology that collects consumption, diagnostic, and status data from a water meter and transfers that data to a central database for billing, troubleshooting, and analyzing.
Benefits of AMR
The benefits of an automated meter reading system include convenience for both the Town and the customer. With AMR, the meter readers can collect meter readings much quicker by simply driving by meter locations. Water meter readers will have a receiver in their vehicles and as they drive by meter locations, the receiver will collect meter readings transmitted by the individual meters. The new meters will assist customers in detecting leaks and will assist utility staff in detecting malfunctioning or tampered meters. Additionally, this timely information coupled with analysis, can help both utility staff and customers better manage the Town’s potable water usage.
When is the project expected to be completed?
Water meter replacements began October 17, 2022 and are expected to be completed within one-year.
How will I access my water usage data?
Once the project is completed, you will receive a notification for a smartphone or computer application that will provide real-time data about your water usage. We will also provide instructions for online account maintenance.