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Harrison County approves $2 million to start engineering help for Lumberport’s water system
Summary
After residents described brown, foul water and repeated leaks, the Harrison County Commission voted to allocate $2,000,000 in carryover funds to begin engineering and procurement support to connect Lumberport to a new source and address aging infrastructure.
Residents of Lumberport told the Harrison County Commission on Sept. 18 that the town’s drinking water is frequently discolored and has made people and pets sick, prompting the commission to approve a $2,000,000 allocation to begin planning and engineering for improvements.
Public commenter Lee Holt said the water in Lumberport was ‘‘brown. It is green. It is not drinkable,’’ and described recurring main breaks, boil-water advisories and children exposed at the local school. Several other residents described flooded basements, sewage odor and failing storm drains during the public-comment portion of the meeting.
An unnamed town representative and staff said the community completed a Phase I project with county support and is ready to move to Phase II; they said Thrasher Engineering, Ferguson and other consultants are helping evaluate new water sources and designs. The speaker also said recent test reports ‘‘meet the standards of the government’’ while acknowledging the water’s appearance and taste concerns.
Commissioner (Speaker 2) moved that the county invest $2,000,000 from 2023 rollover/carryover funds to begin engineering work and procurement to secure a new source and related improvements for Lumberport. County staff described how the requested amount would be drawn from carryover and leave roughly $600,000 in remaining carryover and an estimated general-fund balance cited as about $7.6 million.
The motion passed following debate about whether staff had enough time to review the consultants’ report and how the county should coordinate with nearby utilities. The county attorney noted Lumberport needs to bring its annual Public Service Commission reports up to date to pursue some state-level funding, and recommended a consultant help the town become eligible for other grants.
County staff said the work would be lengthy and could extend into 2027 given necessary phases and right-of-way work; commissioners emphasized the allocation begins the process rather than immediately delivering finished infrastructure. The commission also discussed involving Sun Valley and other regional utilities if a transfer of service is appropriate.
The commission approved the allocation by voice vote; the motion was recorded as ‘‘carried’’ on the agenda. Next steps described at the meeting include contracting engineering work, coordinating with potential regional partners and scheduling public outreach and right-of-way steps.
