Decatur Utilities held its annual Years of Service Recognition recently, honoring employees who have reached milestones of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 or more years of service to the company. Also recognized were members of the Municipal Utilities Board of the City of Decatur, who provide guidance and oversite to the operations of Decatur Utilities. We appreciate the dedicated service of these employees and board members as they help us provide you, our customers, with outstanding service!

On Tuesday, February 3, ten employees from the Decatur Utilities Electric Operations workgroup returned home after spending eight days assisting Oxford Utilities in Oxford, Mississippi with power restoration following Winter Storm Fern. Ray Hardin, General Manager for Decatur Utilities, said DU is part of a Mutual Aid Agreement among municipal electric systems. As such, he said DU was happy to provide assistance to Oxford once it was determined that Fern had spared the middle part of North Alabama. “We’ve been the recipient of assistance from neighboring systems many times in the past,” Hardin said, “so we were happy to lend a hand when Oxford Utilities called.” Paul Hughes, a Foreman with DU Electric Operations, led the group of 10. Hughes said each workday started around 5 a.m. and lasted well into the night. After being briefed by an Oxford Utilities liaison, the DU team focused on getting main circuits repaired and then restoring customers who had no damage and were able to receive power. Apprentice Lineman Marcus Jones said the damage left by the ice storm was devastating. “It was pretty bad when we got there,” Jones said. “Ice was still on the roads, trees were down everywhere, lines were down. We worked safe – but they were long, hard hours. We did what we could to help the community of Oxford.” Hughes said the lingering effects of the winter storm made work conditions extremely dangerous. “There are a lot more hazards with this type of storm,” said Hughes. “You are dealing with icy conditions – just being able to move around is difficult – let alone climbing a pole that has ice on it.” But, he stressed, the training and education provided by DU has prepared them to work safely. Still, the long days can take their toll. “We have a saying in the industry,” he said “Be your brother’s keeper. We all try to watch each other. If someone’s cold and tired and having a rough day on day six, we keep an eye out. We take care of each other.” Clint Dunlap, Apprentice Lineman, said the Oxford community was extremely appreciative of DU’s presence. “We had a lot of people come up and thank us, give us food and snacks. We really appreciated it. There were a lot of nights we didn’t have to go to the hotel to eat because people gave us so much.” Dunlap said it is understandable that customers get upset after being without power for several days, but the customers from Oxford were nothing but appreciative and supportive. “It was a great experience.” Triston Moore, Apprentice Lineman, grew up watching his father Derrick Moore, a former DU lineman and general construction supervisor, work storms on many occasions. Now it was his turn to step up and provide assistance. “It’s good to help people…seeing everybody so happy after we get their power on,” he said. “They were always just thanking us and taking care of us. I enjoyed doing it.” Hughes said he was proud of the team that went. “I had a great crew,” he said. “I had young guys that had not been on a storm and some seasoned guys that have worked on several storms. It’s good for them to see how other utilities do things. That will make them better in their career.” And while each utility system has nuances in the way the electric grid is designed and constructed, in the end Hughes said, “it’s all line work.” That’s something each member of the crew has gone through thousands of hours of education and training for. Steven Williams, Electric Field Superintendent, said it takes three to five years for apprentice linemen to complete their initial training and be certified as a journeyman lineman. “They wind up with as much – if not more – education and training as a four-year degree.” That’s vital, he said, because line work is so complex and dangerous. “Our goal is to get customers back on as quickly – and safely – as possible. We want every employee to go home to their family at the end of the day.” Several employees at Oxford Utilities commented on how well-rounded the DU crews were. “We are trained in overhead, underground and transmission,” Hughes said. “That prepares us for these types of situations.” He said making a difference to a hurting community is one of the great rewards of the job. Hughes reflected on the past week. “To see a community without a single light on…and knowing these people need help... I would want someone to help me and my family in that situation.” Thanks to the Mutual Aid Agreement, that help will be forthcoming the next time a tornado or winter storm devastates the Decatur Utilities electric system.   Glenn Boyles, DU Electric Manager, said he was extremely proud of the crew for working safely and helping Oxford Utilities restore service quickly following the storm.  Oxford Utilities has also expressed its deepest appreciation for the help. Hardin echoed those sentiments, also noting that it’s a team effort. “When crews leave our system to provide this type of assistance, that means someone has to stay behind and take care of calls here at home,” he said. “That’s part of the calling to serving the public.” For now, the DU crew is cleaning and re-stocking trucks as well as organizing their gear and getting ready for the next outage call. Meanwhile, the residents of one of the South’s most beautiful towns will continue to recover and heal. “I told some of the Oxford Utilities employees that this was my first time in Oxford,” Hughes said. “I’d love to go back in the spring, but it’s going to be a different town now. It will never look the same.” DU Electric Operations crew members providing assistance were: Paul Hughes Joe Herring Len Cox Tyler Morrison Jarred Coker Izall Orr Clint Dunlap Marcus Jones Jeremiah Springman Triston Moore Photo Gallery:

With the possibility of a significant winter weather event for this Friday-Sunday, here are some tips to help you prepare for possible outages, staying warm and safe and precautions for avoiding freezing pipes! What you can do to prepare for possible outages: Stock up on a few days worth of essentials - non-perishable food, water, medications Have plenty of batteries available for flashlights Have phones fully charged prior to event starting If charging phones in a running vehicle, make certain the garage is ventilated by opening the door. Register any permanent standby generators with DU and make certain an approved automatic disconnect is in place. No doing so can place our crews in grave danger from electricity back-feeding onto power lines. Keep freezers and refrigerator doors closed to preserve cold. If you are running a portable generator, make sure it is placed OUTSIDE and any appliances or lights plugged directly into the generator. Do not use power strips and in NO instance should you try to tie a portable generator into your home's breaker box. Reporting power outages Call 256-552-1400 and selection Option 1 for power outages and Option 2 for other utility emergencies Registered SmartHub users can also report outages via text to 1-844-965-1351. Registered SmartHub users also receive updates on outage restoration. To download visit The App Store or Google Play To sign up and register: https://www.decaturutilities.com/smarthub-tutorials Tips for staying safe and warm during frigid temperatures Set thermostat to the lowest possible level that is comfortable and safe Bundle up to offset setting it a few degrees lower Make sure space heaters are not placed near combustible materials like curtains or sofa skirts Set your ceiling fan to rotate clockwise to keep warm air circulating down to the floor level Seal up any cracks or crevices around windows and exterior doors. Even temporary measures like newspaper or covering with plastic will help Avoid frozen pipes and burst water lines Remove and drain hoses, cover outside faucets with insulated cover Close foundation vents to keep cold air out from under your house Keep a slow drip of water from faucets Open doors on vanities located on outside walls to allow warm air to circulate Keep your thermostat on at least 55 degrees are gone for an extended period of time If you lose water, contact your local utility to have it shut off at the meter BEFORE it thaws If you attempt to thaw a frozen internal pipe, do so with a hair dryer or space heater - NO OPEN FLAMES

Decatur Utilities to begin 2025 natural gas system leak survey Dec. 15 Beginning December 15th, Decatur Utilities will begin a quality control leak survey of the DU natural gas system to ensure public safety and the proper operation of gas lines and meters. This survey is required by the Federal Department of Transportation-Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration (PHMSA) and The Alabama Public Service Commission (PSC). The survey will continue until approximately March 2, 2026. As required annually, the survey will check for leaks in all natural gas mains and business/commercial service lines in Decatur. One-fifth of residential service lines are checked each year. This year's residential survey #2 area is: SW Decatur: North of Clearview St SW & East of Spring Ave SW Dr SW South of 8th St SW & Danville Rd SW SE Decatur: South of 8th St SE Northside R/W & North of Flint Creek. This project will involve a slow-moving vehicle (approximately 5 MPH) in streets, alleys and highways throughout Decatur. A portion of the work may be conducted at night when traffic is lighter. Some parts of the gas system are only accessible by foot by a technician using handheld gas detection instruments. The survey work will be conducted by Heath Consultants Inc. of Houston, Texas, a specialist in gas leak detection. Vehicles operated by Heath Consultants Inc. will have signs on the vehicle identifying the company and identifying them as an “Authorized Decatur Utilities Contractor.” In order to check for service line leaks, the Heath Consultants employee will require access to customer property and the gas meter. Heath Consultants employees will have identification and will explain their purpose for being on private property. During this survey, gas leaks found on Decatur Utilities equipment will be repaired and gas service restored. If gas leaks found are not on Decatur Utilities equipment, the homeowner or business will be notified and gas service will be disconnected until repairs are completed by the homeowner or business. It is anticipated this work will be completed by March 2, 2026.

For many years, Decatur Utilities has purchased volumes of natural gas on the futures market in an effort to keep rates more stable for DU's natural gas customers. Weather patterns, political conflicts, demand by data processing centers and increased need for Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) in Europe and Asia have continued to drive spot market pricing higher in recent months. However, DU's "hedging" of its natural gas supply has kept retail gas rates for local customers much more stable. “For many years, DU has strategically purchased future volumes of natural gas, especially those volumes needed for usage during winter months,” said Gary Borden, DU Operations Manager. “By making these bulk purchases when prices are lower, we were able to minimize the impact of market volatility." DU hedged approximately 80% of its natural gas needs over the past five years. From November 2025 through March of 2026, DU has locked in gas at an average price of $2.93/dekatherm (one million BTU). Projected gas pricing is expected to soar to above $4.50 in 2026-2028. Spot market pricing hit a high of $12.44/dekatherm in August of 2022. Had DU not made future natural gas purchases at lower wholesale prices, DU customers would have seen a dramatic increase in retail rates. “DU is fortunate to have an in-house expert purchasing gas on behalf of our customers,” said Ray Hardin, DU General Manager. “Gary and Debra Curtis, DU’s Energy Supply Coordinator, continuously monitor the gas markets to make purchases for future needs. This winter, we will see the benefits of purchase decisions that were made over the past 2 years. " Hardin added that DU's hedging program has also been a key factor in keeping DU's retail natural gas rates the lowest in the state. “This is one of the ways a public-owned utility works for the customer each day. We are not trying to produce a dividend for stockholders, but working for the customer,” Borden said. “This hedging program is just one of the ways we strive to make sure our rates are kept as low as possible for everyone.” While market volatility is making it more difficult to lock-in natural gas futures at present, Borden and Curtis will continue to monitor market trends, looking for volumes of gas available at competitive pricing in the future.

The Decatur Utilities Water and Wastewater Treatment Plants continue to be recognized for their excellence in operations. The Alabama Water Pollution Control Association (AWPCA) recently presented plant awards as part of its 2025 Conference.    The DU Water Treatment Plant received two awards for calendar year 2024 (CY2024): Best Operated Plant Award (Distribution Systems 25,001 - 50,000 meters)  AND the Award of Excellence for Surface Water (Plants >60 Million Gallons per Day (MGD)) - both presented in recognition of outstanding operations achieved by the plant's operators, maintenance mechanics and plant electricians during CY2024.   The DU Dry Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant received a Certificate of Recognition (Mechanical Plant > than 8.9 MGD) for recognition of the operations achieved by plant's team during CY2024.   "We continue to strive for excellence in all areas of plant operation," said Water Resources Manager Tom Cleveland. "These awards are reflective of the investment DU's board and management have made in our plants as well as the ongoing effort of the outstanding employees at both the WTP and WWTP plants and our Water Resources team."   DU General Manager Ray Hardin echoed Cleveland's sentiments, adding, "DU's customers can take great pride and comfort in knowing that our drinking water exceeds all state and federal mandates for quality and that we are being good stewards of the environment by returning clean water to the Tennessee River after it completes the wastewater treatment process." ###

The Municipal Utilities Board of Decatur Morgan County (Decatur Utilities) recently adopted a resolution honoring outgoing board member Al Cheatham for his more than seven years of service to the citizens of Decatur. Mr. Cheatham was recently named CEO of Bonnie Plants, a joint venture of Alabama Farmers Cooperative. Mr. Cheatham was appointed to the DU board in January of 2018 to fill the remaining term of former board member Skip Thompson. Mr. Cheatham then accepted a full nine-year term in July of 2020. The Decatur City Council filled that vacancy created by Mr. Cheatham's resignation on Monday, July 28 by appointing former DU board member Skip Thompson to serve the remainder of Mr. Cheatham's term. That term expires June 30, 2029.  L-R: Tom Counts, Al Cheatham, Neal A. Holland, Jr. and GM Ray Hardin Skip Thompson The resolution was affirmed by Neal A. Holland, Jr., board chairman, and Tom Counts, board secretary. It states, in part, that "No organization, and especially no enterprise managed by virtually volunteer services, can enjoy constant and long-term excellence without genuine dedicated leadership.  Al Cheatham has brought such qualities to his Board service in full measure.  His rare combination of integrity, honesty of purpose, sound business judgment, communication skills and dedication will be difficult to replace.  The Municipal Utilities Board of Decatur, on behalf of its management and employees and all the citizens of Decatur, expresses to Al Cheatham its sincere appreciation and gratitude for his years of dedicated service to the continuance and improvement of the high quality service of DU; and for the distinguished contributions that his services have made to the growth and development of the City of Decatur." Ray Hardin, General Manager of Decatur Utilities, echoed those sentiments.  "We appreciate Mr. Cheatham's outstanding contributions to DU over the past seven years," said Ray Hardin. "His financial and business acumen have been a great benefit and although his days of active service with the Board have ended, his wise counsel will continue to be welcomed and valued." Hardin said DU welcomes back Mr. Thompson, who previously served on the board from July of 2011 until January of 2018. Mr. Thompson is a partner with Thirdmark Capital. He previously served as President and CEO of Corporate Billing LLC and president of First American Bank. Mr. Thompson served as a board director for the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) from 2018-2020 and as chairman of the TVA board from 2019-2020. "We are excited to have Mr. Thompson returning to the DU board," said Hardin. "He as well brings a wealth of business and finance expertise to DU that will be tremendous benefit to our operational decision-making."

The Decatur City Council has approved a $1.13 Million expenditure requested by Decatur Utilities to conduct Phase 2 of the PFAS* On-Site pilot study at the DU Water Treatment Plant. This study - being conducted by Jacobs Engineering – is due to the 2024 EPA National Primary Drinking Water Standards for PFAS compounds in drinking water as well as other emerging contaminants. The study will be paid for through a $1.5 million grant from the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF). “DU’s Water Treatment Plant does not currently have treatment technology capable of removing PFAS.  However, we’re encouraged to see that our drinking water has consistently remained well under the EPA limit of 4.0 Parts-Per-Trillion (PPT) for PFAS,” said Ray Hardin, General Manager of Decatur Utilities.   “We want to be proactive and identify the best possible future treatment alternatives for these and other emerging contaminants.” Phase 2 of the study will include full-scale, on-site pilot testing of five treatment technology alternatives designed to address emerging contaminants and specifically PFAS compounds. In July 2022, ADEM requested that DU begin reporting quarterly PFAS data.  DU’s average quarterly level since that time has been 2.21 for PFOA and 2.46 for PFOS.   “Completion of this study ensures that DU will continue to provide our customers with drinking water that surpasses all State and Federal mandates for quality,” said Hardin. For reference, a Part-Per-Trillion is the equivalent of: ·         One drop of water in 13.2 million gallons (20 Olympic swimming pools) ·         One second in 32,000 years. ·         One inch in 16 million miles. ‎* PFAS - Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances including PFOA ** - Perfluorooctanoic Acid and PFOS * **  - Perfluorooctane Sulfonate

On Saturday, Decatur Utilities was recognized as the top fundraiser for the 2025 Dragon Boat Race and Festival, raising $15,249 in donations for the Decatur Morgan Hospital Foundation from its vendors and employees. (No ratepayer funds were used.) DU has raised more than $125,000 since the event started in 2013 and has been the top fundraising team each year. We are thankful to our vendors and employees for supporting this worthy cause and giving back to the community we call home! 2025 Sponsors POWERHOUSE PLUS Vortex Companies TVA Community Care Fund POWERHOUSE Ardurra Cleary Construction, Inc. Garver, LLC Interconn Resources LLC Jim House and Associates LLC John Plott Company Lawnscapes LLC Marsh McClennnan Agency Sansom Equipment Co. Satterfield's Auto Tech HAMMER CC Lynch & Associates Core & Main Pure Process LLC Sparks Energy Inc. SCULLER Inline Electric Supply NISC Water Treatment and Controls Southcon, Inc. EMPLOYEE AUCTION Point Mallard Park Wesley Acres Farms/Kenny Hogan Pepsi-Cola of Decatur Tennessee Valley Authority Wayne-Sanderson Farms Rocket City Trash Pandas DU Information Systems Sharlene Whitmer Delisa Templeton Noel Lovelace, Decatur Morgan Hospital Foundation presents DU's Joe Holmes with Top Fundraiser Paddle for 2025.

Decatur Utilities to begin 2024 natural gas system leak survey Dec. 5 Beginning December 5th, Decatur Utilities will begin a quality control leak survey of the DU natural gas system to ensure public safety and the proper operation of gas lines and meters. This survey is required by the Federal Department of Transportation-Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration (PHMSA) and The Alabama Public Service Commission (PSC). The survey will continue until the end of February. As required annually, the survey will check for leaks in all natural gas mains and business/commercial service lines in Decatur. One-fifth of residential service lines are checked each year. This year’s residential survey area includes SW Decatur: North of 4th St SW; East of Memorial Dr SW; NW Decatur: East of Memorial Dr NW; NE Decatur: All; SE Decatur: North of 4th St SE & Tower St SE. This project will involve a slow-moving vehicle (approximately 5 MPH) in streets, alleys and highways throughout Decatur. A portion of the work may be conducted at night when traffic is lighter. Some parts of the gas system are only accessible by foot by a technician using handheld gas detection instruments. The survey work will be conducted by Heath Consultants Inc. of Houston, Texas, a specialist in gas leak detection. Vehicles operated by Heath Consultants Inc. will have signs on the vehicle identifying the company and identifying them as an “Authorized Decatur Utilities Contractor.” In order to check for service line leaks, the Heath Consultants employee will require access to customer property and the gas meter. Heath Consultants employees will have identification and will explain their purpose for being on private property. During this survey, gas leaks found on Decatur Utilities equipment will be repaired and gas service restored. If gas leaks found are not on Decatur Utilities equipment, the homeowner or business will be notified and gas service will be disconnected until repairs are completed by the homeowner or business. It is anticipated this work will be completed by February 28, 2025.

The Municipal Utilities Board on Wednesday, October 30th, adopted resolutions authorizing Consumer Price Index (CPI)-based rate adjustments for the Decatur Utilities Electric, Gas and Water systems.  A typical residential electric customer using 1000 kWh per month will see an increase of $3.71 spread between the monthly access fee and kWh charge.  A typical residential gas customer will see a monthly increase of $0.50 in the monthly access fee, and a typical residential water customer using 5,000 gallons of water will see an increase of $0.75 per month in the monthly access fee.  There was no increase in wastewater rates. Overall, the average residential customer using all four services at these levels will see a total increase of approximately $4.96 - or 2.1%. Pending approval by the Decatur City Council, the increases will go into effect with January 2025 billing cycles. "While we strive to keep rates as low as feasible, the significant inflation we’ve experienced in the last three-to-four years makes it necessary to increase revenue to maintain the financial health of each system," said Ray Hardin, Decatur Utilities General Manager.  "The CPI-based approach minimizes the impact of the increase on our customers.  DU is pleased to continue to offer utility services with the lowest total utility bill in the state." BACKGROUND NOTE: Rates for utility bills at DU and other utilities are made up of two components:  A flat access fee and a volumetric rate based on usage of the particular utility service.

Decatur Utilities and the DU Water Resources Group were recognized recently at the 2024 Alabama Water and Pollution Control Association (AWPCA) Conference with the following awards for 2023: 2023 AWPCA Best Operated Plant Award DU Dry Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant Mechanical Plants > 8.9 MGD 2023 Award of Excellence DU Water Treatment Plant Distribution Systems 25,001 - 50,000 meters 2023 Best Operated Plant Award DU Water Treatment Plant Surface Water Plants > 60 MGD Present to receive the awards were (L-R) Shannon Bailey, Wastewater Plant Superintendent; Tom Cleveland, Water Resources Manager and Hagler Wiley, Water Plant Superintendent.  Congratulations to the employees at the Water and Wastewater Treatment Plants and other Water Resources Group personnel. DU Water Treatment Plant DU Dry Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant