Westwood residents debate water, sewer extension – Valdosta Daily Times

VALDOSTA Every day Jeremiah Lawton expects something to happen to his septic tank. He doesn't know when, but one day, he worries he is going to wake up and find his toilets overflowing.

Lawton, president of the Westwood homeowners association, said he would love to see his septic tank replaced with a sewer system. Monday, he, along with other residents of Westwood Estates, met with theLowndes County utilities director and other county officials to discuss how much it would cost for the county to run water and sewer to their neighborhood, just west of Interstate 75.

Steve Stalvey, utilities director, spoke to the residents of Westwood Estates about including them in the water and sewer system of the county.

His report estimates a cost of $18,000 per resident and a cost of $1.3 million to the county, which would be paid through SPLOST. To move forward with the project, the county would need a commitment of at least 75 percent of the residents.

Thomas Lynn | The Valdosta Daily TimesSteve Stalvey, Lowndes County utilities director, speaks to Westwood Estate residents about extending county water and sewer to their homes.

Essentially, the county would pay to extend their pipes to the neighborhood, while the residents will pay for a sewage pump and installation of everything.

"It's really a team effort to get this thing up and running," Stalvey said. "Ideally, every resident will commit but that's up to (them) to work out."

At the meeting, residents were split. Some wanted to pay for county services, while others were perfectly content with their current system.

Barbara McFarland, a Westwood resident, said she wouldn't mind having county water and sewer but she isn't willing to go into debt to get it.

"It's just too much money," McFarland said. "I'm disabled and on a fixed income. I can't afford paying $10,000 for something I already have."

She has had no problem with her well or septic tank, she said.

But Shirley Garland, a Westwood homeowner, spoke about investing in the neighborhood and increasing home values. She said she was thinking of the future.

"This is modernization," Garland said. "Just like when we switched to cellphones from landlines."

Garland said those who don't want to switch won't have to switch, which is partly true.

Stalvey said anyone with property within 1,000 feet of the water and sewer line of the county would not be allowed a new permit to dig a new well or place a new septic tank.Meaning even if a Westwood resident rejects the proposal and the lines still go in, they will be required to attach to the county line if something happens to their well or septic tank.

"It's the policy that the board has adopted,"Stalvey said. "They want to limit wells and it's for the protection of the community as a whole."

At the end of the meeting, most of the residents in attendance left not sold on the cost of joining the county system. This isn't new. The Westwood Estates community has been looking into extending water and sewer for three years now.

The future of the project depends on what the community agrees to do.

Thomas Lynn is a government and education reporter for The Valdosta Daily Times. He can be reached at (229)244-3400 ext. 1256

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Westwood residents debate water, sewer extension - Valdosta Daily Times