by Trish Rudder

Last Wednesday, August 14, an informal meeting regarding water and sewer line extensions was held in the Morgan County Commission meeting room.

The meeting was called with only a few days’ public notice to engage residents who could be affected by a proposed two-mile extension of public water and sewer lines along U.S. 522 south of the Ridersville Cycle.

The Berkeley Springs Water Works and the Warm Springs Public Service District – the public water and sewer system in Berkeley Springs – are working with the Morgan County Commission to expand service to more businesses and homes. Federal grants and funds from the American Recovery Plan are expected to cover the majority of the project costs.

According to Dave O’Connell, Bath City Councillor and chairman of the city’s water committee, the meeting was intended to give residents the opportunity to voice their individual concerns.

“The biggest concern was whether they would be forced to tap into the water or sewer line. Connecting to the water system is always optional,” O’Connell wrote in an email last week.

And according to Rebecca MacLeod, Bath city councillor and a member of the city’s water committee who attended the meeting, some property owners whose properties are in the right of way for water and sewer lines and must be contacted for planning permission said they had not yet been asked for permission and were “only finding out about it now,” MacLeod wrote in an email.

“It was unclear to the other participants whether they had to 1) connect to the sewer or 2) pay the minimum monthly fee. No one knew what distance from the main line was required for this. The PSD board said they believed it was 300 feet,” Macleod reported.

West Virginia law requires certain properties to connect their sewer systems to a public sewer system if one is available within a certain distance from a residence or business.

MacLeod said there were some comments for everyone and then individual discussions, so she did not hear if questions about Shirley Farm – a residential area on the east side of U.S. 522 in the area of ​​the proposed expansion – were answered.

She said the county commission and PSD board could provide more information about what was sent to prospective clients.

“Some participants expressed a desire for a water extension and talked about the poor quality of the well water they currently have,” MacLeod said.

Other citizens who were unable to attend the meeting due to commitments or short notice said they had additional questions about the capacity of the Berkeley Springs water system to accommodate additional customers. They questioned what impact it would have on the springs that feed the water system if too many additional customers, including commercial or industrial users, were to withdraw water.

The Morgan County Commission has stated that it will assist the City of Bath in finding a second water source to supply the public water system.

Kate Shunney contributed to this story.