WATER AUTHORITY Board Member John Brady (left) and Authority Chair Bryan Edwards (right) look over the plans for the water treatment facility with Engineer Bobby Lane during a tour of the facility held last Thursday. Photo by Mark Ketchum

Water Authority tours new plant facility on New River

INDEPENDENCE, Va.—Following a meeting last Thursday, the Virginia-Carolina Water Authority took a tour of the new water treatment facility that is still under construction near the end of Moxley Ridge Road just over the North Carolina state line. The Authority meeting was held at the Grayson National Bank Conference Center and the board then moved to the site of the treatment facility and intake on New River.

The Authority board has been told by Engineer Bobby Lane that water should be flowing to homes in the two towns—Sparta, N.C. and Independence—by some time in August.

During the meeting, the board agreed to allow the managers of the towns to meet with the engineer to discuss the fees appropriated in the budget.

Sparta Town Manager and Authority Chair Bryan Edwards noted that the meeting is needed to "look at the agreement in respect with the budget to make sure that the budget is consistent with the agreement."

Edwards said that Independence Town Manager Kenneth Vaught had noticed the issue the day prior to the meeting. "We're not at a point to even amend anything," said Edwards, who asked the board to table the proposed budget vote until the following meeting and not take official action on it until July.

This year marks the first-ever budget for the Authority, which has been in the planning and construction phase awaiting the flow of water that will give it revenue on which to operate.

The first test of the pumping and purifying equipement was expected to take place in early July. After that, water testing will take about another month and then the water supplies will be switched over from a well system to the surface water treatment facility on New River.

Another issue was the turnover of the lines and other facilities to the Authority by the contractors who are undertaking construction at this time. The board's accountant, Karen Cornwell, said the liability insurance on the assets was not included in the budget proposal.

"We just need to capture that in the budget," said Vaught.