Mt. Vernon Register-News

Local

November 27, 2009

Township looks at water service options

By TESA CULLI

tesa.culli@register-news.com

MT. VERNON — Residents in Moores Prairie are a little closer to getting water service, but there are still questions on whether Belle Rive will provide the water or if the township will start its own water company.

“We’ve been looking at ways we can handle that,” said Ike Kirkikas of the Greater Egypt Planning Commission. “We could have Belle Rive establish the lines to provide Moores Prairie, or they could start their own water system and access the Rend Lake Conservancy District line that way. ... If we create a water company, we have to ask residents to be a part of the water company, and at this moment, we just can’t guess what it will be like.”

Jefferson County was the lead agency in obtaining a Community Development Assistant Program grant for design engineering on a system to provide water to the residents in the township, and Kirkikas said an analysis of the issue has been completed, and Greater Egypt has been holding discussions with Belle Rive officials. A decision on how to proceed is expected in December or January, Kirkikas reported to members of the Jefferson County Board, and there is an April 2010 deadline for applications for funds for the construction phase with a deadline for actual construction in 2011.

“This has been a long process,” Kirkikas said. “It started in 2007, and the first grant was approved by the state in 2008. We’ve done the assessments while trying to save as much as possible so it can be used on the design.”

Water rates will also be an issue, Kirkikas said, and with funding coming from Rural Development, that organization sets the rates based on the amount needed for water system construction.

“Forty-three to 49 dollars per month is the Rural Development average,” Kirkikas said. “In order to get some leverage, Rural Development may change the grant. Rural Development sets the average for water rates based on how much money they loan.”

The residents of Moores Prairie, who do not pay taxes to RLCD, has asked the district in the past to expand its water lines to provide water service, however the district turned down the request, citing the costs of expanding the lines would be more than could be recouped in fees.

The Community Development Assistance grant was for $73,400 and administered by Greater Egypt. The grant allowed for $54,400 in design engineering, which is being done by Heneghan & Associates of Centralia; $15,000 to obtain easements; and $4,000 for general administration costs.

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