On July 14, the developer of Piper Hollow came back to the Piperton Planning Commission and won preliminary approval of the Phase 3 plat, with Phase 4 also laid out on the plan. The plat had one detail that will matter to every future buyer on that side of the subdivision. A paved access road out to Commerce Road, first built for construction traffic and now used by many residents, was shown as a permanent ingress-egress easement. It would not be a public street, and the HOA would own and maintain it once the work is done.
Asked by the mayor, Piper Hollow residents at the meeting answered almost unanimously that they wanted the road gated. A road that residents use every day, with upkeep assigned to the HOA, follows the same pattern as Piperton's growth overall. The town keeps its city property tax low and buys its water and sewer capacity from its neighbors. As that capacity runs short, more of the cost of growth moves onto utility bills, builder fees and homeowner associations. If you are comparing a Piperton home with one in Collierville or elsewhere in the east metro, those line items affect your cost more than the purchase price does.
A Town That Rents Its Pipes
Piperton relies on its neighbors for both services. Its wastewater goes to the Town of Rossville under a fixed allotment of 80,000 gallons a day. Its water comes through a meter from Collierville. Monthly reports from Public Works Director Richard Mills to the Board of Mayor and Commissioners show how close to the limit the system runs.
| Board meeting | Sewer flow to Rossville | Share of 80,000 gal/day allotment |
|---|---|---|
| June 23, 2026 | Over 76,000 gal/day average across 29 days | 95.04% |
| August 18, 2026 | 72,000 gal/day average across 32 days | 90.67% |
Water shows the same pattern. The August 18 minutes report that the city bought 20 million gallons and sold 18.9 million, and that a penalty charge applies for going over 18 million. The new connection behind that supply was finished during the Highway 57 widening. Crews bored the line under the railroad tracks, and the Highway 57 feed was shut for about five hours to tie it into a new meter pit and line coming out of Collierville. The same report noted that the water tower had been holding at about half full, that the sprinkler schedule has made a big impact, and that last year there were multiple days when the city nearly ran out of water.
Demand is still rising. In that August report, Building Official Elizabeth Reed counted 76 new single-family homes framing under construction, along with six certificates of occupancy and six more new-home permits for the month. Each of those homes adds flow to an allotment that was already more than 90% used.
Why Piperton Turned Down More Capacity
According to Citizen Portal's account of the May 2026 board vote, the board found Rossville's proposed terms for additional capacity financially untenable. It then hired Wauford & Company Consulting Engineers, for up to $10,000, to study wastewater treatment lagoons and the related permitting as an alternative to an expensive renovation of the city's Adair treatment plant.
At the June budget hearing, recorded in the June 23 minutes, City Manager Steve Steinbach described a treatment plant maintenance consulting line in the FY2027 budget as primarily a placeholder. "We don't want our superstructure continuing to erode," he said, while the city waits to finish that work, which "could be two or three years if not longer." Meanwhile, the city is doing what it can inside the system it has. The Greenbrier gravity sewer extension will remove pumps and let sewage flow by gravity down Russell Creek. The budget also covers lift-station generators, pump replacements and a fence around the Highway 196 pump station.
No timeline for new capacity appears in the city's 2026 records. Because sewer runs as a ratepayer-funded enterprise fund, whatever option the city chooses will show up in what customers and developers pay.
Where the Bill Lands in a Low-Tax Town
Piperton's city property tax really is low. The Tennessee Comptroller's 2025 city tax roll lists the rate at 0.4051 per $100 of assessed value. At the June 23 budget hearing, the minutes record Steinbach saying there would be no property tax increase for FY2027 and that Piperton has "one of the lowest in the state."
Water, sewer and now sanitation are run as separate enterprise funds. Each is expected to cover its own costs from what customers pay. In the same hearing, Steinbach described running a "thin margin" with the city's vendors, "whether it be Collierville, Rossville, or Marshall Utilities," and said the city does a rate study every year to make sure it is covering its obligations. Because Piperton buys its water, every extra gallon it sells also raises what it owes Collierville.
The 2026 rate cycle followed that process. The September 15 board agenda included a water and sewer rate study presentation from RateStudies, Inc. The October 20 agenda set public hearings on three ordinances:
- Ordinance 423-26 increases residential and small commercial garbage, yard waste and recycling fees.
- Ordinance 424-26 replaces the existing water rate ordinance, 409-25, in its entirety.
- Ordinance 425-26 replaces the existing sanitary sewer rate ordinance, 410-25, in its entirety.
Builders pay too. In the June budget review, Steinbach said builders now pay $2,000 in sewer tap fees, and that developer sewer fees are based on the depreciation of infrastructure the city "has to eat over time." Costs like these usually get built into new-construction pricing, so a new home in Piperton carries part of the system's growth cost before anyone moves in.
The New Rules Push More Onto Developers and HOAs
In August, the Planning Commission went further. On August 11, it adopted Resolution 26-326, which re-adopts the city's subdivision regulations. According to the Planning Commission minutes, City Planner Brett Morgan said the new version requires developers to file a concurrency report. The goal is to put more requirements on developers, especially for multi-phase residential and major commercial projects, "to make sure the city can handle its growth as infrastructure continues to be stretched."
The same resolution added standards for private roads, including gated and unpaved roads. It requires a gate or barrier permit from the city, with plans submitted to the Planning Commission. When Mayor Henry Coats asked whether private roads would be maintained by homeowner associations, Morgan said yes, if the HOA oversees maintaining them.
Recent approvals already follow this model:
- Piper Hollow. The first two phases have 76 lots. Phase 3 adds 20 lots and Phase 4 adds 19, for 115 total. The Commerce Road connection becomes an HOA-maintained easement. Engineer John McCarty proposed installing a gate about a year after Phase 4 is platted, so construction traffic for the later phases can still get through.
- 57 Floors PD-O. The final site plan was approved on the condition that its collector road stay private, maintained by the owner, until the city decides to require dedication.
When the mayor asked whether a road would need to be stated as private once gated, Morgan said that would be covered in the development agreement between the developer and the city. For a specific property, the recorded plat, development agreement and HOA documents determine who pays for repaving, gate repair and drainage on a private road. Piperton's own paving needs are already large enough that Steinbach told the board the city will probably need to borrow to address them.
Questions to Ask Before Making an Offer in Piperton
All of this adds up to a short list of questions. In Piperton, the answers can change what a home costs to own even when two listings look the same on price per square foot.
- Is the street in front of the home public, or is it a private road or easement maintained by the HOA? Ask for the recorded plat and the HOA's current budget and reserve figures for roads, gates and common areas.
- Which phase is the lot in, and is it platted? In a phased subdivision like Piper Hollow, later phases can change traffic patterns, gate timing and how construction traffic is routed.
- What do water, sewer and garbage cost under the rates now in effect? Ordinances 423-26, 424-26 and 425-26 were on the October 20 agenda. Get the adopted text from the city's agenda center and compare it against a recent bill from the seller.
- Is the home connected to city sewer, and is it served by a pump station? Projects like the Greenbrier gravity extension show where the city is working to retire pumps.
This post is general information drawn from public records. It is not legal, tax or financial advice, so confirm how any rate, HOA obligation or road agreement applies to a specific property with the right professional.
FAQ
Does Piperton have its own sewer treatment? The city owns the Adair treatment plant, which needs costly renovation. It currently sends its flow to Rossville under an 80,000-gallon daily allotment. In May 2026, it hired Wauford & Company to study lagoon options.
Where does Piperton's water come from? Piperton buys its water from Collierville. A new line and meter pit were connected during the Highway 57 widening this summer.
Did Piperton raise property taxes for FY2027? No. City Manager Steve Steinbach said at the June 23, 2026 hearing that the FY2027 budget includes no property tax increase.
If you are weighing a Piperton home, whether as an owner-occupant or as a rental you plan to hold, Memphis Real Estate Advisors can pull the plat, HOA budget and current utility rates for the specific property before you write an offer, so you know what it costs to own as well as what it costs to buy. Ask us for your free market report.