Customers Mack and Mary McWilliams sign-up for water with Mt. Zion PSD representative Della Nichols, Monday at Upper West Fork Park
Public water is coming to a section of Calhoun that has long presented a need, provided enough customers sign-up for the project.
Only 13 new customers signed-up at a public meeting Monday evening at the Upper West Fork Park. Sixty customers had already signed for public water, making a total of 73.
Wilma Mace with the Mt. Zion PSD said actual construction could start in the Spring of 2007 if a minimum of 183 customers pay a $100 tap fee, which is described as a three year commitment.
The wide-reaching $4 million extension is to be built from Arnoldsburg to the Upper West Fork Park (Rt. 16), and from the Millstone area to Sand Ridge, Sassafras Ridge and Russett.
Jim Hildreth of Boyles and Hildreth Engineers of Spencer attended Monday's meeting, answering questions about the project.
The 21-mile water project includes about 110,000 linear feet of water line, a pumping station, two water storage tanks and other equipment.
Bringing public water to the area will allow potable drinking water, but will also provide water to an area that is devoid of an adequate supply.
The Calhoun Commission has been urging property owners to sign-up, with an adequate water supply increasing the value of property and encouraging further development in the area for the 21st century.
Failure to meet the minimum number of customers will slow the time frame for construction, or if there is not enough interest in the project, funds could be shifted elsewhere.
Mt. Zion PSD has a letter of conditions from the Rural Utilities Service for a $1.8 million grant and a $600,000 loan. An application for $1.5 million grant from the Small Cities Block Grant program was submitted in February, 2005, but that part of the funding will now be provided by the Appalachian Regional Commission.
Because of rapidly increasing construction costs, mostly related to national disasters, engineers Boyles & Hildreth of Spencer was asked to review the cost estimate.
The construction cost is estimated to have increased by approximately $500,000, and the Rural Utilities Service will likely fund that additional amount.
Calhoun currently has two PSDs, Pleasant Hill and Mount Zion, both of which purchase water from the Grantsville municipal system.
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