“We’re grateful for the fiscal court’s support of our sewer system. We know it stinks and we want to fix it. We’re grateful that they were able to help us and pay for that pump so we can get it repaired.” –Craig Miller, Alliance manager
BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — Sewer customers who require continuous pumping of their grinder pumps due to improper electrical hookups or other noncompliance issues on their side of the pump will be charged an additional fee of $1,000. The Martin County Sanitation District set the fee in a meeting Thursday. The board also completed a resolution for the $685,625 Cleaner Water Program funding promised in March and got an update on the new pump for the Saltwell sewer station.
According to the board, the $1,000 sewer fee is intended to cover the cost of pumping grinder tanks 12 times a month.
Alliance Water Resources management stated that “a couple of customers” have refused to comply with electrical wiring and other issues required to keep the pumps operating properly. The company has been pumping those customers’ grinder tanks three times a week—Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The fee will cover the cost of labor, travel, fuel and disposal.
The district will give those customers 30 days to comply before adding the fee. If customers refuse to pay the fee, their water service will be disconnected.
MCSD will finally benefit from the $685,625 Cleaner Water Program funding awarded in March by Gov. Andy Beshear. With the resolution complete, the district plans to use the money for repairs at the Inez treatment plant.
Alliance manager Tyler Hall reported the Tug Valley sewer treatment plant is functioning well. He noted the Saltwell lift station had been pumped to the bottom twice to prepare for the new pump that Martin County Judge/Executive Lon Lafferty and the fiscal court agreed to purchase.
Hall expects the installation to occur within two weeks.
Alliance Manager Craig Miller said if not for the county paying for the Saltwell pump, the district would not be replacing it.
“We’re grateful for the fiscal court’s support of our sewer system,” Miller said. “We know it stinks and we want to fix it. We’re grateful that they were able to help us and pay for that pump so we can get it repaired.”
Hall stated a broken air release valve on the forced main from the Blacklog pumping station and the Saltwell pumping station “could have caused major issues” at Blacklog but for the work of sanitation crew Michael Willard, Chris Ward, Ronnie Lowe and others.
“The crews were able to repair that in a matter of an hour and a half,” Hall said. “This was no simple fix by any means. In the same vein as Blacklog, they changed the station’s motor and gear oil. It hadn’t been done for quite some time.”
The crew has been busy finding manholes and cleanouts previously unmapped.