Coffee County's Health Welfare Recreation Committee voted May 22 to purchase up to $150,000 in pipe for Manchester City to install a rural water extension to Roberts Ridge and nearby properties.

Committee members approved the motion after discussion about line size, routing and next steps. "I'm willing to buy the pipe out of rural infrastructure funds," said Mr. Morris, who moved the motion. The motion, seconded by Mr. Duncan, passed on a voice vote.

The move came after Manchester representatives told the committee the city would install the line if the county paid for the material. A county staff member who spoke at the meeting said that, "if you're gonna do the entire road and lift the system, it might be best to do a 6 inch line," adding that a 4-inch line might suffice if the run ends at a limited service area.

Committee discussion covered three technical and policy choices: whether to "loop" the line or stop with a dead end, whether to install 4-inch or 6-inch pipe to account for future growth, and whether the county should fund extensions that primarily benefit future subdivision or private development. The staff estimate for material and related bedding/backfill ranged from about $100,000 to $150,000, described in the meeting as the "high end" of cost estimates.

Public commenters and a resident who brought photos of a failed local well urged action. The resident said the photos were intended "to prove to you how dire our situation is." Committee members noted the extension would initially serve about five houses and might serve additional buildings if a proposed church or youth camp is developed nearby.

Committee members and staff outlined next steps: staff will obtain measurements and existing engineering reports (committee members mentioned contacting Scott and Adam for reports), confirm funding availability with Maryann in budget/finance, and run the purchase request through the county's budget and finance process. A county staff speaker said construction could take about 36 weeks of crew time, and cautioned that real-world timing could stretch to about a year depending on interruptions.

Committee members also discussed longer-term policy questions raised at the meeting: one member said the county should not routinely pay to extend water lines for remote subdivisions and that utilities typically fund extensions because they will receive revenue from future customers.

The committee approved the purchase and directed staff to move the request to budget and finance for funding confirmation; committee members said they would return to the commission if additional funds or approvals were required.