
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, March 19, 1994                   TAG: 9403210179
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-7   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: By PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: DUBLIN                                LENGTH: Medium

DUBLIN, PULASKI TO 'RENT' COUNTY'S WATER

Dublin and Pulaski probably will "rent" water from Pulaski County to meet temporary wastewater needs. Both towns were notified last week by the Peppers Ferry Regional Wastewater Treatment Authority that they used more wastewater from the authority than allowed under their agreements.

If the towns have no plans for handling the situation or for finding additional water capacity by next month, they could be required to stop issuing building permits. New construction projects would require even more water to carry waste for treatment.

The county gets water from the authority, too, but is not using the full capacity allowed under its agreement. The county therefore can "rent" its remaining capacity to localities that need more.

Charles Maus, authority executive director, notified the towns that their wastewater use had been excessive for three straight months.

Dublin Town Manager Gary Elander said it would be more reasonable for the authority to look at usage averages over longer periods. For the past two years, Dublin's use has been below capacity, Elander said. It is only when rain or snow saturate the ground that other water seeps into cracks into lines and adds to the amount that must be treated.

``No. 1, we have to pay for treatment of groundwater and No. 2, it eats up our capacity,'' Elander said. But he agreed that inflow and infiltration of sewer lines should be fixed as the town can afford to do so. He said he was planning to recommend testing of lines this year.

Infiltration is when ground water seeps into cracked lines, and inflow involves illegal connections to sewer lines. These were also the major factors in the high water use in the town of Pulaski.

In other business, Elander reported that the town is still looking at the possibility of a single franchise between the two towns and county with Adelphia Cable TV.

Pulaski County recently renewed its franchise with Adelphia. Dublin's franchise does not expire until 1997, but could be ended early and renewed as part of the joint agreement.

Under the agreement discussed, he said, Adelphia would provide $75,000 worth of equipment to offer a new education and local government channel to be generated from New River Community College at Dublin.

Another change would reduce the length of the franchise from 15 to eight years.

Councilman Colbern Linkous said the main benefit is that the franchise would be nonexclusive, so other businesses could seek franchises to provide cable television. Linkous said that competition would work to lower rates and improve service.

Elander announced that the Lions Club recreation park in Dublin would be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. today for people to bring tree debris from the recent ice storms. No date has been set for burning the debris already brought there. He said the New River Resource Authority decided Wednesday not to charge a fee until after April for anyone bringing tree debris to its Ingles Mountain landfill.

by CNB