Sewer commissioner believes disagreements are overblown

How to refund millions in reserve funds and the best way to attack the problems of rainwater and groundwater penetrating the system have created disagreements within the Oconee Joint Regional Sewer Authority. But one of the commissioners urges patience to give him and the rest of the policy-making board more time to make the right decisions. Tally Grant, who represents both Walhalla and Westminster on the JRSA board, believes discussions and debate over the past few months illustrate the need for the board to be cognizant of all pertinent information before a course of action is decided. “It takes a lot of discussion, arbitrating, to get all the information out on the table where we can all deal with it,” Grant said in an interview today with 101.7/WGOG NEWS. The commissioners have been grappling with how much accumulated monies kept in reserve should be returned to the JRSA’s three-member cities. And, at the same time, how much to hold onto to help reduce inflow and infiltration that add to the cities’ costs to treat wastewater. Grant believes news media reports overstate disagreement within the board. “We’re all working for the best for the sewer commission when we’re around that table. And everybody else is working for their cities when we’re not there,” Grant said. The problems may be compounded by the potential of some kind of enforcement action from South Carolina DHEC. Chris Eleazer, JRSA executive director, warned the commissioners last week that the state agency is concerned that board members are not working well together. Grant believes those concerns are overblown.