Beulah Utilities District is located in the Northeast corner of Lee County Alabama. The District provides water and fire protection services to over 3ooo customers.
The District is an Alabama Public Corporation established under the governance of the Lee County Board of Commissioners. The District has five board members who are appointed by the Lee County Board of Commissioners. The officers of the District are the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, and Secretary/Treasurer.
Board Members:
- Mr. Lamar Sims – Chairman
- Mr. David Jackson – Vice Chairman
- Mr. James Majors – Secretary/Treasurer
- Mrs. Linda Holt – Asst. Secretary/Treasurer
- Mr. Andrew Bryan – Board Member
Meetings:
- The Board meets in regular meetings every third Tuesday of each month at 6pm in the Beulah Water Department Office located at 5320 Lee Road 270 Valley, Ala. The public is welcome to attend these meetings.
History
- There are 205 miles of underground pipe in the water distribution system serving 3337 customers. The source of water for the District is through the City of Opelika. The water is drawn from Hallawakee Creek at Lake Harding, it sent through the Opelika water treatment plant, and returned to Beulah.
- The Beulah fire department has five station locations, four of which are staffed by volunteer firefighters.
- The fifth station is staffed by full time firefighters. Beulah is fortunate to have Chief Jacob Geiger to lead the department. The department provides first responder services to the District along with the recent addition of ambulance services located in the District by East Alabama Medical Center. The Department serves 3080 fire customers.
- The District’s name was Lee Chambers prior to 2010,, and was changed to Beulah Utilities District after the Chambers County customers were sold to East Alabama Water, Sewer, and Fire Protection located in Valley, Ala.
- Beulah Utilities District has been managed by East Alabama Water, Sewer, and Fire Protection for the past 30 years, most recently under a comprehensive management agreement. A merger of Beulah Utilities District with East Alabama Water, Sewer, and Fire Protection was proposed in 2013. The proposed merger was not completed after the Lee County Board of Commissioners held a town hall meeting at Beulah High School, where citizens of the District spoke in opposition to the merger. Conflict between the District’s citizens who opposed the merger, and those who supported the merger has caused both the District and its contract operator, East Alabama Water, Sewer, and Fire Protection to re-assess their relationship. Beulah Utilities District, and East Alabama Water, Sewer, and Fire Protection have mutually agreed to terminate this management agreement. The termination date is expected to be on or near September 2014, however both parties agree that the contract will not terminate until Beulah is ready to assume the operations of the District.
- Clearwater Solutions, LLC., of Auburn has been selected to replace East Alabama as the Contract Operator of the District. Clearwater partners with municipalities, county governments, individuals, and water and wastewater boards to provide knowledgeable operations and maintenance of water and wastewater systems. Clearwater is led by a seasoned team with more than 250 years of experience in the field. They are committed to paying close attention to details, ensuring quality and performance while maintaining an efficient operation, and addressing the needs of the clients’ and the community served.
Our Mission:
The Beulah Utilities Board has and continues to develop goals for the District that are in the best interest of the District’s customers, and the community. Improvements in the water distribution system, and improvements in the Fire department are directed at attaining the lowest ISO rating possible for the District. This will provide our customers with lower insurance rates for their homes and property.
The utilization of a modular office as the temporary headquarters for the District provides an immediate low cost way to get our office moved within the District. This structure can also be used by the Fire department as a training facility, to provide education and training to our firefighters as well as other area firefighters. Fees charged for training provided to other District’s firefighters will be another income to the District Fire Department. This training will improve our score in the requirements for better ISO ratings that will help lower the insurance cost of our customers.
Problems
- Water loss in the District has been a problem for many years. The Board is addressing this as the number one priority. Many times in the past it has taken two or more weeks to get a leak stopped. Under the new management of Clearwater Solutions, leaks will be fixed immediately by our in house crew.
Solution
- The Board is listening to its customers who feel the tap rate charged in the District is much too high. The Board is reviewing the options available, and will reduce these charges to help bring growth to the District and more water sales.
- The District will own the computer systems utilized to facilitate management of the business functions. This ownership insures that the data in these systems belongs to Beulah Utilities District, and not an outside contractor.
- The District will also own the Operation and Maintenance equipment necessary to keep the distribution system running smoothly. This will allow 24/7 service to our system that we must have.
- The contract for the purchase of water from Opelika expires in 2016. Preliminary discussions to renegotiate this water purchase agreement now rather than late next year have already begun.
- The goals of the District, as directed by the Board, with advice from Clearwater, the Contract Operator,
- Godwyn Mills, and Cawood, the engineering firm, Davidson and Umbech, Attorneys, and Hilyer and Associates, CPA will provide for the continued service of water distribution and fire protection for the citizens of the District in the most effective and cost efficient methods.