By Stan Welch
Anderson County District Six Councilman Jimmy Davis joined Anderson County Administrator Rusty Burns and County Attorney Leon Harmon Monday in a meeting with ReWa officials to pursue a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Greenville based utility. The MOU concerns future arrangements about northern Anderson County’s wastewater management.
Burns describes the focus of the ongoing negotiations as the utility’s buying out the northern Anderson service area, essentially removing the county from the wastewater business in that part of the county. In recent years, ReWa has purchased the wastewater systems of Pelzer and West Pelzer as well.
Councilman Davis, in the first few months of his first term on Council, said the main result of the meeting is that both sides are on the same page now, which should ease future negotiations towards an actual binding contract between the parties. Council’s first step came several weeks ago when it authorized the appropriate county staff members to pursue the MOU, laying the foundation for future negotiations.
“As we go forward, we can be sure we are working towards the same goals. ReWa now understands their future responsibilities as well as some authority we have reserved, such as the county’s ability to continue aggressive economic development efforts in the service area. The ongoing growth in that area demands that, especially with the explosive growth, both commercially and residentially. That customer base is constantly expanding.”
Davis and Burns agree that any final agreement must make sense for both parties. Davis said that, based on ReWa’s figures, sewer costs will actually drop for customers in the service area. He anticipates a strong agreement to be hammered out within the next ninety days.
All customers within the service area will continue to be served by the water provider they are currently served by.
Anderson County District Six Councilman Jimmy Davis joined Anderson County Administrator Rusty Burns and County Attorney Leon Harmon Monday in a meeting with ReWa officials to pursue a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Greenville based utility. The MOU concerns future arrangements about northern Anderson County’s wastewater management.
Burns describes the focus of the ongoing negotiations as the utility’s buying out the northern Anderson service area, essentially removing the county from the wastewater business in that part of the county. In recent years, ReWa has purchased the wastewater systems of Pelzer and West Pelzer as well.
Councilman Davis, in the first few months of his first term on Council, said the main result of the meeting is that both sides are on the same page now, which should ease future negotiations towards an actual binding contract between the parties. Council’s first step came several weeks ago when it authorized the appropriate county staff members to pursue the MOU, laying the foundation for future negotiations.
“As we go forward, we can be sure we are working towards the same goals. ReWa now understands their future responsibilities as well as some authority we have reserved, such as the county’s ability to continue aggressive economic development efforts in the service area. The ongoing growth in that area demands that, especially with the explosive growth, both commercially and residentially. That customer base is constantly expanding.”
Davis and Burns agree that any final agreement must make sense for both parties. Davis said that, based on ReWa’s figures, sewer costs will actually drop for customers in the service area. He anticipates a strong agreement to be hammered out within the next ninety days.
All customers within the service area will continue to be served by the water provider they are currently served by.
