Private sewer options considered for new middle school

Barrow County assistant superintendent for facilities Jake Grant told superintendent Ron Saunders and Board of Education members during a work session Tuesday night that he was going to the location of the new middle school on Mulberry Road later this week to see if hiring a private company is a viable option.

“I am planning to go Thursday morning,” Grant said. “I believe there are companies who can do this. Right now we are approved from the state for public sewer to be installed. We would have to get approval from the EPD for a private system, but I don’t think it would be a problem.”

School board member Mitch Churchill asked what was the latest in the ongoing negotiations with Barrow County officials on working out a solution concerning the use of the county sewer system for the new middle school.

“It is at a standstill,” Saunders said. “We just can’t get a final agreement.”

A new county commission chairman is slated to take office in January. There will also be some new commission members starting in 2008.

This prompted board member Connie Wehunt to ask if a final decision was going to be made one way or the other on the sewer system before the new year.

“Probably not,” Saunders said.

The issue concerning sewer service for the new middle school has been ongoing for several months and has cause a delay in construction of the facility.