The Greene County Commission met Monday night and voted not to move forward with a resolution to adopt a recommended 90-day temporary moratorium on commercial water pumping facilities in an A-1 zone.

The solution came about after the Greene County Regional Planning Commission discussed residents’ concerns about a company taking water from Hampton Spring in Afton. Residents feared that an outside company would disrupt the flow of spring water near Greystone Road and affect water levels.

County Commissioner Brad Peters also addressed residents’ concerns about the company’s truck traffic on that road, saying Greystone Road is not designed for semi-trucks.

The Eternal Water company has a lease with the property owners on which the spring is located. With the permission of the owners and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Eternal Water was authorized to continue its lease for the potential bottling of spring water.

Greene County Attorney Roger Woolsey said he spoke with TDEC and was told that a permit would be required if the creek’s flow was impaired by more than 5%. The county has no control over the spring water and no authority to monitor use. Greene County can only regulate use of the property.

The property owners and Eternal Water reportedly have no intention of interfering with the community’s continued use of the spring and wish to preserve the spring in its natural state.