Aiken Council to vote Tuesday on Valley water district expansion

AIKEN – The Aiken County Council will conduct a final vote on expanding Valley Public Service Authority’s boundaries Tuesday night.

Expanding the boundaries would legalize the authority’s efforts to takeover the Avondale Mills’ water system for hundreds of customers in Graniteville and Vaucluse.

If the council approves the expansion, it would be effective immediately, County Administrator Clay Killian said. The county will take over the sewer system, rehab it and then relinquish it back to the authority.

If the negotiations do not come to fruition, the boundaries would return to the original size, he said.

The council will also vote on accepting the agreement on $4 million in stimulus funds to help rehab the water system. The stimulus funds are pending until the county engineers and Valley Public are able to clear up issues such as easements throughout the water service area.

The county and the Valley Public have until early 2010 to meet the requirements for the stimulus funds. Federal funding is also needed from USDA Rural Development to complete the rehabilitation of the system. Rural Development officials have not yet completed an environmental review of the water system, so officials cannot propose the loan and grant amounts. The board and the county need $7 million in grants and a $3 million loan from Rural Development to complete the process.

The council will meet at 7 p.m. at the council chambers, 736 Richland Ave.