South Blount County Utility District

What South Blount County Utility District does

South Blount County Utility District (SBCUD) is a publicly governed, non-profit water and wastewater utility district established in 1958 and headquartered at 320 Partnership Parkway in Maryville, Tennessee. The district is governed by a three-member Board of Commissioners appointed by the Blount County Mayor (Virginia Morton as President, Dan O'Connor as Vice-President, and Lee Gowan as Treasurer and Secretary), with day-to-day operations led by District Manager A.L. Scott. SBCUD provides water service to over 18,000 homes, businesses, and schools across a 150-square-mile service area in Blount County, Friendsville, and Louisville—approximately 30% of the county's population—and operates 5 decentralized wastewater systems. Source water is drawn from Lake Tellico, with the Tennessee Valley Authority serving as the upstream water source partner.

The district's core technical asset is its state-of-the-art membrane filtration Water Treatment Facility at 7345 Old Railroad Bed Rd, in operation since 2004 and one of the first of its kind in Tennessee. The plant has a daily production capacity of 10.3 million gallons while average daily production runs approximately 2.9-3.7 million gallons, leaving significant capacity runway. Supporting infrastructure includes a wireless Automatic Meter Reading/Advanced Metering Infrastructure system using Badger and Mueller Systems meters (~60% complete since 2005), 11 operational zone meter sites with 4 additional sites planned on the East side of the distribution system, and a Cross-Connection and Back-Flow Prevention Program administered by a Certified Cross Connection Specialist. SBCUD operates an on-site certified lab conducting over 1,800 tests per year and employs 7 Certified Grade IV Water Treatment Plant Operators and 2 Certified Grade II Distribution System Operators.

SBCUD generates revenue entirely through rate-based charges rather than equity or debt markets. The revenue model combines a fixed monthly customer charge ($19.17/month, tax included) with usage-based water billing ($6.36 per 1,000 gallons as of July 1, 2025; previously $6.76), both applied identically to residential and commercial customers. One-time fees include a non-refundable connection fee ($30 for homeowners and businesses, $100 for rental customers) and meter/tap installation fees ranging from $2,950 for a 5/8-inch tap to $9,572 for a 2-inch tap. Wastewater tap pricing is available by contacting the office. SBCUD has held rates flat since 2013 with no increase on the horizon, funded by customer rates and bond restructuring, and distributes a quarterly e-newsletter ('Preparing for Tomorrow') plus maintains active Facebook and Instagram channels and a YouTube library for customer education.

Name

South Blount County Utility District

Legal name

South Blount Utility District

Website

https://southblountutility.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

South Blount County Utility District is a publicly governed Tennessee water utility district providing water treatment, distribution, and wastewater services to over 18,000 customers across 150 square miles in Blount County, Friendsville, and Louisville since 1958.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Utility Services

NAICS

Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310), Sewage Treatment Facilities (22132)

SIC

Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) (EUANADAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Onsite/Decentralized Reuse Utilities (District/Building‑Scale Reuse as a Service) (EUANAGAH)

Keywords

• Water utility services
• Water treatment
• Wastewater management
• Water distribution
• Municipal utilities

Headquarters

HQ city

Maryville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Water Service Charges: Monthly water service charges consisting of a customer charge plus usage-based billing per thousand gallons. Both residential and commercial customers follow the same rate schedule.
2. Usage-Based Water Billing: Water consumption is billed per thousand gallons at a rate of $6.76 plus tax per thousand gallons. Average daily usage is 3.7 million gallons across all customers.
3. Connection and Tap Fees: Non-refundable connection fees for new service: $30.00 for homeowners and businesses, $100.00 for rental customers. Meter and tap fees: 5/8 inch tap at $2,950, 1 inch tap at $4,822, and 2 inch tap at $9,572.
4. Wastewater Services: Operation of 5 decentralized wastewater systems in the utility district. Wastewater tap pricing is determined by contacting the office.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

South Blount County Utility District provides water service, treatment, and distribution to over 18,000 homes, businesses, and schools across Blount County, Friendsville, and Louisville, Tennessee. The utility operates a state-of-the-art membrane filtration water treatment facility (in operation since 2004) with 10.3 million gallons daily capacity, and manages 5 decentralized wastewater systems across a 150-square-mile service area.

Product overview

South Blount County Utility District provides a unified utility service consisting of core water distribution and treatment operations supplemented by operational programs. The core offerings include water service to over 18,000 customers across 150 square miles, a state-of-the-art membrane filtration water treatment plant, and 5 decentralized wastewater systems. Supporting programs include a wireless meter upgrade initiative (approximately 60% complete), an online bill payment portal, a cross-connection and back-flow prevention program, lead and copper service line inventory, and annual consumer confidence reports for regulatory compliance. All services are delivered through a customer-facing portal with operational infrastructure maintained by distribution and water treatment departments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Water Distribution Service

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving approximately 30% of Blount County's population with over 18,000 customers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• H2O InnovationscoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with H2O Innovations for replacing 300 original Pall Asahi microfiltration membrane filters with Toray ultrafiltration membranes at the water treatment plant. The new Toray filters will provide higher level of filtration and higher waterflow capacity for the facility.
• Brabston Inc.minorOthersContractor awarded the Louisville Transmission Main Project, an 18,000 linear feet water main replacement project. Project is currently around 23% complete.
• Pellissippi State Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in developing the Water Quality Technology Degree program, the first of its kind in Tennessee. Eugene Durant (Plant Manager) and Al Scott (District Manager) served on the industry advisory committee to ensure program effectiveness in preparing students for water treatment certifications.
• Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)coreTechnology or IntegrationTVA is the source of Lake Tellico water, created when the Tellico Dam construction was completed in the late 1970s. South Blount draws its source water from Lake Tellico for treatment and distribution to customers.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Tennessee American Water: Investor-owned water and wastewater utility serving Chattanooga and other Tennessee communities; comparable core service but operates under a different ownership and regulatory model.
• American Water Works Company: Largest U.S. investor-owned water and wastewater utility with a Tennessee subsidiary; relevant scale and operational benchmark for SBCUD's regulated water utility economics.
• Knoxville Utilities Board: Large neighboring municipal utility serving Knox County and parts of SBCUD's broader region; provides water, wastewater, electric, and gas at significantly greater scale than SBCUD.
• Essential Utilities (Aqua America): Multi-state regulated water and natural gas utility with significant municipal water utility operations; comparable service-line focus across many regional footprints.

Direct peers

• Consolidated Utility District of Rutherford County: Tennessee utility district providing water and wastewater services to Rutherford County, the most direct functional analogue to SBCUD in scale, governance structure, and service mix.
• Lenoir City Utilities Board: Tennessee utility board providing water, wastewater, electric, and gas services to Loudon County; comparable in municipal-district structure and East Tennessee geography.
• Cleveland Utilities: Tennessee municipal utility providing water, wastewater, electric, and natural gas to Bradley County; comparable in size, scope, and Tennessee municipal utility governance.
• First Utility District of Knox County: Neighboring East Tennessee water and wastewater utility district with comparable customer base, board-governed structure, and regional service characteristics.
• Hallsdale-Powell Utility District: East Tennessee utility district operating water and wastewater systems for Knox County and surrounding areas, closely mirroring SBCUD's operating model and customer mix.

Others

• Veolia North America: Operates and maintains water and wastewater facilities under contract for municipal clients; comparable in treatment plant operations, AMI, and decentralized wastewater expertise.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCaDlXQ0XK7sJ-PAy7nWTR5A
• Facebookfacebook.com/southblountcountyutilitydistrict
• Instagraminstagram.com/southblountcountyutilitydistrict
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sigil

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about South Blount County Utility District