Report Details Millions Needed For Electric Infrastructure
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WATER VALLEY – Water Valley’s electric system faces millions of dollars in infrastructure needs over the coming years, including construction of a second substation, replacement of aging copper conductors and the addition of line personnel, according to an engineering assessment presented during a June 2 meeting of the Water Valley Board of Aldermen.
Utility Commission Chairman Brandon Presley presented a report from Atwell & Gent, the engineering firm hired by the City of Water Valley prior to the creation of the Utility Commission in August 2025. The report outlines what engineers described as the system’s most pressing infrastructure and staffing needs and provides cost estimates for addressing them.
One of the largest projects identified in the report is the construction of a second electrical substation and delivery point for the city.
According to engineers, Water Valley currently receives all of its wholesale electricity through a single delivery point and substation. As a result, a major equipment failure, storm-related damage or other disruption at that location could affect service throughout the entire system.
The proposed second substation would provide redundancy within the system, allowing electricity to continue flowing through an alternate source if one substation experiences problems. Engineers said the project would improve reliability, support future growth and eliminate what they described as a single point of failure within the city’s electrical infrastructure.
The engineering report estimated Water Valley’s share of the project will be at least $3 million, even after funding assistance from the federal Department of Energy’s Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships grant program.
Another major concern identified by engineers is the continued use of aging copper conductors throughout portions of the electric system.
The report described the obsolete wire as a primary driver of the system’s ongoing reliability issues and estimated the city will need to spend between $1.5 million and $2 million to replace the remaining conductors after accounting for grant-funded work and storm-related repairs.
Presley said some portions of the system contain conductors that have been in service for generations.
“The mayor has a good joke about it, and he’s right,” Presley said. “It belongs in the Edison Electrical Institute. It’s 100 years old.”
The report stated that replacing the wire would improve reliability, enhance safety and reduce excessive line losses associated with aging infrastructure.
The report states that the current crew of four lineworkers is inadequately staffed for a system the size of Water Valley, particularly during storms, nighttime outages and emergency restoration work. The report recommends adding three additional qualified line personnel.
In addition to major capital improvements, the report recommends investing at least $150,000 annually in routine infrastructure replacement, including poles, transformers, substation equipment and right-of-way maintenance. Engineers emphasized the figure represents a minimum baseline investment and does not include accelerated replacement efforts needed to address decades of deferred maintenance.
Throughout the report, all cost estimates represent minimum expected expenditures under current conditions and that actual costs could exceed those amounts.
Presley said many of the challenges facing the utility system developed over decades and predate both the current Utility Commission and current city leadership.
“We are all trying to correct problems that none of us started,” Presley told aldermen. “None of us created.”
Presley said the commission remains focused on addressing those needs while protecting customers from significant rate increases.
“While we are improving service, running a tighter operation, and holding the line on rates so our families and businesses don’t have to absorb a massive rate hike, I won’t pretend the road ahead is easy,” Presley said.
“We need a second substation to ensure Water Valley is no longer dependent on a single electrical connection to the outside world. We also must replace aging and unsafe copper wire throughout the system, and our line crew needs to grow because the safety of the men and women who keep our lights on is not negotiable.”
“The Commission is focused on meeting these challenges responsibly, legally and transparently while protecting our customers from massive rate increases and hidden charges,” Presley added. “That takes hard work, careful planning and a willingness to dig through the facts and follow the process. We are committed to doing exactly that.”
The engineering assessment was presented as city officials continue the budget planning process for the upcoming fiscal year and evaluate long-term infrastructure needs across multiple departments.
