Approximately 35 residents of southeastern Montgomery County turned out at Tabernacle Baptist Church, Nov. 20, to learn what they can expect as the county moves ahead to extend water lines to neighborhoods with pesticide contaminated wells.
Compared to the emotionally charged meeting in April, the atmosphere at the meeting last week was subdued as residents heard County Manager Lance Metzler review the long process of obtaining the grant funds needed for the $1.6 million project. Metzler said if you take the approximately 80 homes affected by the contamination, the project works out to a cost of around $20,000 per home in the target area.
Two of the grant funds approved for the project are income based and require the county to waive the normal $400 tap fee for hook up to the new system. Residents who meet the low to moderate income qualification based on income surveys will also not have to pay to install the lines from their homes to the meter as is required under normal circumstances. Metzler said it appears about 95 percent of the residents will qualify for this assistance. HUD low to moderate income figures were provided to those at the meeting.
Wes Carter, the Hobbs Upchurch engineer in charge of the project, handed out a timeline detailing all the activities of testing, decision making on the best option to solve the problem, meetings and funding processes since November 2007 when the county first tested a well in the area at the request of a resident.
The project is currently in the design phase and the county has requested an exclusion from the full environmental assessment normally required for a project of this scope. “Hopefully, we’ll be fortunate enough to get that exclusion,” said Carter, noting that if that doesn’t happen a full assessment could add at least another 60 days to the schedule.
If the exclusion is granted and all goes as planned, the schedule shows permitting and easement acquisition in January and February 2009, advertising and bidding in February and March, and construction and service connections running from May to September.
Residents will need to allow easements for the water line to run across their property. “We’ll need help from residents to get those easements,” Carter said. “We need to get those signed as expeditiously as possible and we’re also asking for people to donate the easements to keep costs down and keep the project moving,” he said.
Incoming Commissioner Anthony Copeland offered to set up times and bring notaries to specific sites in the community to make it easier for residents to sign and have the easements notarized. Residents who will need to provide easements will be notified when they’re ready.
Carter also addressed the importance of having current owner or renter income information, since the state audits grant funds to assure they’re being spent as required.
Jeff Chandler, from the Sandhills Research Station, and a couple of other people asked about plans for a water line on Windblow Road, where a few contaminated wells have shown up this summer.
That line is included in a separate project already in the works, to include parts of 14 roads throughout the county. The county is currently waiting conclusion of the annual audit, which must be submitted to the N.C. Local Government Commission to see if the county qualifies for additional state loans to fund that project. A decision from the state is expected in December or January.
“It’s important to understand that lines like the one for Windblow are done through an enterprise fund and don’t use tax funds,” Commissioner Jackie Morris explained to the group. Unless there is a significant number of contaminated wells, enough to qualify for urgent needs like the Rocky Springs target area project, residents who hook up to that line will have to pay tap fees and be responsible for running the line from the house to the meter.
“The goal (for Windblow and the other 13 lines) is to do it as soon as possible and not drag it out trying to get additional grant money,” Carter said. Metzler asked the residents near Windblow Road who have contaminated wells to contact the county for further information.
Another resident asked about installation of fire hydrants. Carter said hydrants can only be installed on lines of six or more inches. Lines running along U.S. 220 Alt, most of Morgan and a small section of Cemetery Road will allow for hydrants. “We’re still evaluating how far we can extend the six-inch lines,” said Carter, adding that larger lines can be run only where there is adequate usage to prevent stagnant water from accumulating in the lines.
