Sparta water extension may be in by spring

The Town of Sparta could extend water service southward down U.S. 21 by spring.

Town Manager Tom Douglas said the town got an encroachment agreement from the N.C. Department of Transportation around Christmas time. "We'll start doing some exploratory work as soon as the weather clears up," Douglas said.

With a couple of weeks of cooperative weather, that could be done by March. The extension of water service to Country Junction store, now 4 Brothers Country Junction, could be completed by spring, he said.

The Sparta Town Council approved the extension last October in response to a request from Paul Wagoner, former owner of Country Junction. Faced with a requirement to put in a leak detector, Wagoner offered to contribute $10,000 toward the extension. Douglas said that would cover about half the equipment cost of a six-inch line, or one-third of the cost of a 10-inch line.

Town officials favored the 10-inch line, as that will provide for further expansion of service in that direction. Council also authorized Douglas to negotiate further extension of water to potential customers such as BCB Inc., Truline Truss and Joines Trailer Court.

At this point, however, only the extension to 4 Brothers Country Junction is planned. "We're taking it one step at a time," he said last week.

Douglas said the matter was not on the agenda for this month's council meeting, which was scheduled for Jan. 8.

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