According to a report on the county-wide water project made on Monday by County Manager Jerry Ayscue, the technical specifications for the plan were delivered to the county on July 6, 2009.
Ayscue told the Vance County Commissioners that the county government is talking to the USDA about funding for all phases of the project, and that additional grants are being sought for Phase 1-A, the first phase of the project.
The county manager also told members that talks with Henderson are proceeding regarding water purchase.
Commissioner Danny Wright commented that the project has been allowed to “languish into a recession”. He expressed concern about that.
Commission Chair Dan Brummitt said that he hopes to get into the sign-up phase “pronto”.
Member Terry Garrison said that there is a need to move as quickly as possible. He said that Oxford is making plans to resell water to Raleigh. He also said that the county should have joined the Kerr Lake Regional Water System when it first started.
Under the terms of the water system, Oxford, a minority stakeholder in the system, is not permitted to resell water to Wake County. The only exception to the ban on selling water to Wake customers occurred when six houses just over the Franklin County line were put on the system because it was mistakenly believed that they are in Franklin County.