T
here is much to discuss when talking about
the relationship between NCRWA and my
home town of Bryson City, especially over
the past several years. I should probably
start by telling you a little about my home
town. Bryson City is located a few miles
West of Cherokee, NC, and is made up
of Great Smoky Mountains National Park
(GSMNP), Forest Service, Game Lands and
Cherokee Reservation lands, with only about
14% of the county being privately owned.
The people here are independent, hardworking,
friendly, and are always quick to help
their neighbors. It is an area that offers an
almost endless list of outdoor activities,
with everything from riding an inner tube
down Deep Creek to white water rafting,
biking, fishing, hiking and camping. And if
you’re a little less adventurous you can ride
the Great Smoky Mountains railroad, visit
some of the numerous shops in town, or just
enjoy the scenery.
With approximately 4,395 customers to serve,
and a modest 1 MGD water plant located
on Deep Creek, just outside the GSMNP
boundary, Bryson City is not much different
than many small towns and communities
in North Carolina. Along with the many
pleasures of small town life, it also shares a
lot of the same problems and difficulties.
I will try to hit the highlights and begin our
story with the 2008 budget year; this is when
the difficulties had started to really create a lot
of pressure for the town’s utility monetarily.
While at first glance it seemed everything that
could be done to save money and cut costs
was being done, the situation was becoming
more serious at a very steady rate.
This is where NCRWA came into the picture
for Bryson City, and the slow, difficult
and sometimes painful process of getting
things back on track began in earnest. The one
thing that became clear very quickly was that
the problems that the town was experiencing
did not happen overnight, and certainly would
not be corrected overnight.
I had heard that they (NCRWA) could help
evaluate the problems we were experiencing,
“and at no cost.” In the following months with
the help of several of NCRWA circuit riders,
By Russell Ball, Town of Bryson City
The Town of
Bryson City
A Friend of NCRWA
8
NCRWA.COM |
Fall 2013
feature
