Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission denies waiver for homeowner to remain on private well after questioning county water quality at Buckskin Lake Manor
Summary
After testimony from a Buckskin Lake Manor resident about inconsistent pressure and discoloration, the commission denied a request to waive connection to the county water system 4–1, directing utilities staff to accelerate planned upgrades including a filter within ~60 days and to return with an improvement plan.
The Marion County Board voted 4–1 on Nov. 18 to deny a request from a Buckskin Lake Manor homeowner to avoid connecting to the county water system. Utilities staff told the board the county has purchased and been upgrading the small system (replacing wells and installing controls) and planned to add a filter and other iron mitigation work within about 60 days. The applicant, Don Lauterell, said the system suffers intermittent pressure drops, staining and occasional boil notices and argued those reliability issues justified staying on a private well.
Commissioners weighed the resident’s testimony about inconsistent quality against staff’s list of system improvements and the policy concern that granting a waiver could set a precedent leading to more private wells in that subdivision. Commissioners expressed concern about resident impacts but concluded that county investment and imminent filter installation made denial the better policy; the motion to deny passed 4–1 with Commissioner McLean dissenting. The utilities director was asked to evaluate the system and present a corrective plan for the board.
