ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, March 9, 1996 TAG: 9603110023
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: PEARISBURG
SOURCE: CLAYTON BRADDOCK STAFF WRITER
The Giles County Board of Supervisors went through a final rewrite Thursday of an agreement to the Public Service Authority's county-wide water project.
After some fine tuning, the Giles County agreement will be sent to the PSA for its approval.
The authority already has approved agreements with the five towns at the heart of the project, and vice versa.
Such water-user agreements are a must before the PSA can ask for bids on the $7.1 million project, said to be the largest - at least in the number of localities involved - in Virginia.
County supervisors came close to approving an agreement in February, but delayed making a decision. The agreement is a far-reaching one in which the localities agree to pay the PSA for water usage for 40 years. Such long-range plans and payments are required by the federal Rural Economic and Community Development Administration, a major funding agency in the project.
The agreements allow the PSA to sell water in bulk to the towns of Glen Lyn, Rich Creek, Narrows, Pearisburg and Pembroke, and to Giles customers outside of the towns.
Although board members had some lingering questions and disagreements over water rates and fees, they gave final approval after acknowledging that industry and water customers are the key to the county's future.
"We need the customers," said Supervisors Larry J. Williams and R.W. Williams.
Under the water agreement:
The PSA must hold in reserve 200,000 gallons daily capacity in its proposed water treatment plant for future residential, commercial and industrial growth in the county.
The county will see a reduction in its payment for reserve water supplies if reserve payments by the PSA result in an annual profit.
If the county should purchase water at any time during the term of the agreement, it shall pay the same rates as charged by the five towns.
When the PSA begins producing and delivering water to its users, Giles County will cease operation of its existing water systems.
LENGTH: Short : 50 linesby CNB