Town approves change in joint water study with Independence, Va.

The Sparta Town Council approved a change in its plan to study and consider joining with Independence, Va. to build a water plant near the state line.

The change, which took place at the last council meeting on Oct. 1, could result in the town paying about $12,000 more for its portion of the cost of the feasibility study than originally thought.

At its September meeting, the council committed to the feasibility study on a Sparta-Independence water treatment plant. Town Manager Tom Douglas said the study is expected to cost about $50,000. In September, he said federal grant funds could pay for 90 percent of that cost, so that the town might have to pay less than $3,000 for its half of the study. However, at the Oct. 1 council meeting, Douglas said a change was necessary. The application for grant funds through the NCREDC (Rural Center) was being submitted at about the same time as work on the feasibility study was beginning. Grant funding sources will not pay for work already in progress, he said. Therefore, the study has been broken down into two phases, each accounting for half of the total cost.

Phase one will primarily consist of the engineering feasibility of the project, while phase two will deal with operation and maintenance of a potential water plant.

With the division, grant funds could still pay for phase two but not for phase one. "We're starting phase one, and hopefully the grant will pay for phase two," said Douglas.

Council's vote authorized paying up to $15,000 for its portion of the feasibility study cost.

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