With a referendum on a potential merger between the City of Crossville’s water system and the Cumberland Plateau Water Authority roughly two months away, CPWA official Jeff Dyer says the public still lacks a clear answer from city leaders on a key question: Do they agree with the authority’s financial analysis showing ratepayer benefits under a unified system?

Dyer pointed to this month’s city council work session in which a speaker asked whether the council agreed with CPWA’s audit of future rate impacts—both with and without a merger. The city manager’s response, according to Dyer, was that officials “will have to look into that.” The same question was repeated without a substantive reply.

“Here we are, two months from the election that was a 5-0 unanimous vote for the city council to put a referendum out. With no information to the public, whether or not what we submitted is correct,” Dyer said in an interview with 3B Media News. “If you’re going to say, let’s have a referendum, don’t you think some information should come from the city as to what the future rate impact is going to look like if you merge, or if you don’t merge?”

CPWA submitted its analysis several months earlier, using financial data provided by the city’s finance director and city manager. The study projected that remaining independent would require substantial rate hikes to fund major capital needs, including a potential dam estimated at about $70 million, water treatment solutions in the $40–50 million range, a filter upgrade at Meadow Park estimated at $15–20 million, and existing debt of roughly $28 million. Spreading those costs across a combined customer base of around 32,000 would ease the burden, Dyer said.

He noted the city’s recent rate history—increases of 7 percent, 15 percent and 25 percent, with another 25 percent proposed—and argued a larger utility could keep future adjustments far smaller. Previous CPWA mergers with West Cumberland and South Cumberland utility districts produced immediate 5 percent rate decreases for those customers, he said.

“We showed a path where everybody wins. It is a benefit to every single rate payer if we’re one large utility,” Dyer said. He emphasized that the authority is not “begging” for the merger and would continue operating if Crossville voters reject it. The state legislation creating CPWA protects employees’ jobs, pay and benefits, he added.

On concerns about creating a monopoly or losing local control, Dyer said water service is already a monopoly in each service area. Customers cannot choose among providers based on location. Assets would remain with the ratepayers who funded them, not disappear, and the CPWA board includes city-appointed members. Ross Colona of the state Comptroller’s office has publicly stated there is no argument showing a negative impact on customers from unification, according to Dyer.

Dyer, who began discussions with the city in January 2025, said the authority’s focus is solely on ratepayers rather than politics or control. He invited the city to release its own numbers if it disputes CPWA’s findings so voters can make an informed decision.

We at 3B Media News reached out to the City of Crossville to obtain comment, context or a rebuttal, but as of this writing, we have yet to receive answers. We will provide an update once we hear back.