Financial advice imparted to sewer commissioners

Financial advisers laid out paths that Oconee’s sewer authority may take to correct system wide problems and satisfy the state Department of Health and Environmental Control.  It’s possible, they say, that American Rescue Plan free money or a low-interest loan through the state’s revolving fund can go toward the potential those 10 adopted projects will require $44 million.  And, to strengthen the Joint Regional Sewer Authority’s financial standing, the commissioners are being told that raising the charge to the municipal members to treat the cities’ wastewater will be an absolute.  Individual municipal members, such as Walhalla and Westminster, are concerned about how much they’ll need to raise retail rates to meet higher JRSA wholesale charges.  The date of April 22, 2022 is not lost on the JRSA.  That day next spring looms as a deadline to send a work plan with completion dates to DHEC.  This says, JRSA outside attorney Michael Traynum, is to meet the requirements of a consent order between DHEC and the JRSA.  Failure to satisfy the order, Traynum warns, could take out of local hands the right to set sewer charges and, instead, place with a court-appointed receiver, if it came to that.