Refund checks are flowing at the sewer authority

The chairman of the Oconee Joint Regional Sewer Authority gave out some whopping checks last night to the municipal members of the JRSA. Those checks and their amounts reflect a return of monies to the cities that foot the bills to treat wastewater—Seneca, Walhalla, and Westminster. And they are returned with the intent that the three cities apply the monies to correcting the rainwater and groundwater that seep into their systems and cause increases in treatment costs. The largest customer, Seneca, gets the most at $2/9 million while both Walhalla and Westminster receive in the neighborhood of 800 to 900 thousand dollars. JRSA member Scott Moulder, a Seneca representative, several months ago began pressing his colleagues to return monies. And, eventually, agreement was reached to return accumulated monies above $5 million. The JRSA’s latest accounting shows the authority holds $5.1 million, although a replacement piece of equipment agreed to last night is going to cost short of $400 thousand.