Bluefield Daily Telegraph, Bluefield, WV

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September 17, 2011

Phase 1 of Baptist Valley sewer project complete

By CHARLES OWENS Bluefield Daily Telegraph

NORTH TAZEWELL, Va. — A long-planned infrastructure upgrade for North Tazewell is officially complete.

Both contracts on the $10 million Baptist Valley East Phase 1 Sewer Project are now finished, according to Tazewell County Public Service Authority Administrator Dahmon Ball. The new sewer system has the potential to serve up to 760 families in eastern Baptist Valley.

“It’s always good to see a project come to a completion and to provide the service we are anticipating,” Ball said. “The project is now substantially complete. So the entire project is now ready.”

Rhudy Keith, chairman of the county’s PSA Board of Directors, said the new sewer system should help to open up the Baptist Valley community to future growth.

 “It’s got to the point where you cannot have in today’s world, or society, you can’t have a place without water and sewer,” Keith said. “Not having good water, and a sewer system that is operational, is detrimental.”

Ball said the PSA board agreed earlier this week to extend the reduced sewer tap fee rate for customers in the Baptist Valley community until Sept. 30. The cost of connecting to the sewer system is $275 until Sept. 30. After Sept. 30, the regular rate of $700, or cost plus 10 percent, will take effect.

“Any residents interested in connecting to the sewer need to take advantage of that,” Ball said. “Any citizens that are interested in connecting on the system that haven’t completed a user agreement or paid the tap fee should come by the PSA office or call us.”

Residents with questions can call the PSA at 276-988-1822.

The PSA has been working on water and sewer for the Baptist Valley community for about 15 years now.

The sewer project was funded in part with federal stimulus dollars after meeting the “shovel ready” qualifications identified by the Obama administration in 2008.

Phase one of the project extends from the town of Tazewell’s municipal limits on Route 16, north to Route 635, or the Mundytown area, and up to Route 631 and Baptist Valley. Phase two extends along Route 631 from Hubble Hill to Rose Lumber and includes the Dailey Chapel subdivision Road to Burkett Drive.

Ball said the PSA is searching for additional state and federal funds needed to extend the project further in the future.

— Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com

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