Blount County governments bid for South Plant
Blount County, Alcoa and Maryville are prepared to spend about $20 million for control of the former Alcoa South Plant — and potentially more to determine what replaces it. The three governments have approved a cooperative agreement supporting a bid for the 162.5-acre industrial property. The agreement would also divide future development and operating costs […]
Utilities Become Growth Gatekeepers as County Expands
At the South Blount Utility District Water Treatment Facility, a team of 12 employees monitors pumps and filters, responds to alerts and conducts tests every few hours. For most of them, their work takes place in a control room above the plant, where they keep an eye on the system and fill out paperwork. […]