Nelsonville utilities committee urges council to bar sewer credits for residential pool fill‑ups

The Nelsonville Utilities Committee voted to ask the city council to adopt a resolution preventing the city manager from granting sewer‑bill credits to residents who fill private pools, saying sewer charges are tied to water usage and that pool discharge still implicates sewer treatment.

Mr. Elkins, introduced at the meeting as the committee’s new auditor, told the committee the fundamental question that prompted inquiries was whether residents who fill pools on their property should pay the increased sewer charge. "There's no meters for the sewers. It's based off of the water meter usage," he said, explaining Nelsonville bills sewer service using water‑meter reads rather than a separate sewer meter.

Elkins gave a cross‑jurisdiction example: some households receive water from neighboring Carbon Hill but use Nelsonville sewer service. Carbon Hill provides meter readings to Nelsonville, he said, which allows Nelsonville to bill sewer even when the water used to fill a pool came from Carbon Hill.

"The sewer system and sewer facilities are used when you drain the pool at the end of the season," Elkins added, arguing that holding pool water temporarily does not remove the sewer system from eventual treatment responsibility.

Miss Colen, who said she had letters from McCrae Powell and Charlotte Beach supporting the committee's view, stated she agreed that pool water "does eventually go through the sewer." Committee members also raised safety and regulatory concerns, noting pool water often contains chemicals and cannot be legally or safely discharged to yards or streets.

A committee member moved to send a resolution to city council "not allowing the city manager to give out credits based on pool fillups in Nelsonville going forward." The motion was seconded and approved by voice vote; the committee agreed to forward the two letters to the clerk for inclusion in the meeting record. Mr. Cameron was identified in the discussion as the sponsor of the motion.

Members also reminded residents that above‑ground pools taller than 42 inches require a locked fence and that some installations may require permits; those seeking permits were urged to check local regulations with city staff.

The committee closed the meeting at 6:06 p.m. The resolution will be forwarded to the city council for consideration.