BOC chairman says county can’t afford proposed $14.3 million sewerage system

“We will have to go back to the drawing board because those numbers won’t work,” said Dove, who also serves as a non-voting member of the industrial authority, which is spearheading sewerage expansion efforts.

Leaders in the county frequently talk about the need to expand the services in order to draw more businesses, jobs and sales tax revenue to Madison County.

The BOC, the school board, the IDA and the cities of Hull, Comer, Colbert and Danielsville have all agreed to fund a sewerage study to explore a possible county system and regional sewerage plant.

But Dove said the proposed $320,000 in annual revenue off the system, coupled with $33,531 in debt payments, didn’t paint a pretty picture when juxtaposed to the $14.3 million price tag.

Still, he hasn’t abandoned the hope of providing more sewerage services in the county.

“I’m still committed to working together,” said Dove. “But the first draft is not financially viable.”

Chris Quigley, the engineer working on the sewerage expansion project, told the IDA last week that the total cost is anticipated at $14.3 million. This would include replacing old sewer systems in Danielsville and Comer, installing numerous lift stations and establishing a regional waste treatment plant to serve the county.

Dove said he will soon schedule a meeting with local mayors to discuss the sewerage plans. He said the county could proceed with the study and submit it to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The USDA won’t discuss possible grant funding prior to completion of an engineer’s study. The county could see how much funding is available through the federal government for a sewerage system, then revise its plans for a more affordable system.