Letters to the Editor

‘... who else will be connecting to it in the future?’
This letter is in response to your Guest Editorial in the March 4th issue of The Progressive Journal. My first question is who made Mr. Hough an expert on what is best for the Town of Pageland. Mr. Hough stated that constructing a pipeline from the North Carolina state line to Alligator Rural Water & Sewage Company’s new sewer treatment facility in McBee will be very expensive. But, it is far less expensive than upgrading both of Pageland’s existing sewer plants to provide the additional capacity needed for future growth. Does Alligator Rural Water & Sewage Company actually have a facility in McBee? No, I don’t think so! This whole project was based on the fact that The Towns of Pageland and Jefferson would just jump on the band wagon. You see, what I don’t understand about this whole picture is that as Mr. Hough said, The Pageland Chamber of Commerce and the Chesterfield County Economic Development Board are among groups backing the pipeline project then why don’t they partner with Alligator Rural Water & Sewage Company. Mr. Hough spoke of the grant money the said company may be eligible for. He said it is estimated that the grant funds will pay for at least half of the pipeline costs. There is no guarantee that they will be able to attain 50% of the funds for this project. On January 22, 2008 the Pageland Progressive Journal printed that Alligator Sewer & Water is going to build an l MGD Waste Water Treatment Plant in McBee. This will not allow Pageland any room for growth. If they (Alligator Sewer) do add on to the new plant who is paying for it? Where is the pipeline located in reference to hwy. 151 and Van Lingle Mungo Blvd? Will it come to the South Plant to collect or will we have to build a lift station to pump it? If the North & South Plants are closed down, who will pay for clean up of plants. Does Alligator have engineered drawings? Who will be responsible for all the lift stations and line maintenance? The sewage plants in Pageland are nearing capacity only on the DHEC checkbook and can be reduced. The cost of maintaining treatment plants and sewer lines will increase for everyone, including Alligator. Conbraco are relocating some operations to Pageland is only office jobs (domestic sewage). It has been published that Alligator will almost double the average sewer bills. Is Alligator Sewer & Water affiliated with Chesterfield Rural Water? Do the people of Pageland want to refinance the town debt to 40 years when we have only approximately 12 years left to pay off the current debt which the treatment plants are paying, with extra leftover? The Town of Andrews is facing fines from DHEC for not cleaning up their closed treatment facilities. How long will be the length of the original contract? Would the people of Pageland want a small increase in sewer rates to expand their own plants or a larger increase in rates that they would have no control of increases from then on? When will Alligator show to Pageland Official plans for the line and plant to be built? All industries are not major wastewater contributors. If the town is the major contributor to get this line installed who else will be connecting to it in the future? By closing the WWTF, we will be taking clean water out of our streams and rivers contributing to the drought, meaning less wetland for animals and less water for potable waters users downstream. The committee which was formed by council, did not ask questions from the Waste Water Operators, nor did they review records of the treatment plants or HSMM, the engineers of Pageland who designed the plants in 1974, but got their data from other places, that have nothing to do the operations of the Waste Water Treatment Plants in Pageland.

Martha W. Hamilton,
Pageland Town Council

‘Why ask so many questions in a letter ...?
In Ms. Martha Hamilton’s letter, she asks 15 questions pertaining to the proposed sewer project in Pageland. I have only one question for Councilwoman Hamilton: “Why ask so many questions in a letter to a newspaper instead of at a town council meeting?”
The Pageland Town Council has met four times since agreeing in December to hold a referendum on whether the Town should shut down its two sewer plants and partner with Chesterfield County and Alligator Rural Water Companies to build a pipeline to Alligator’s treatment plant in McBee. Councilwoman Hamilton has not raised a single question at any of these meetings.
At our most recent meeting on March 4, CCRWC General Manager Charlie Gray and two board members accepted an invitation to meet with council. Gray gave a comprehensive summary of plans for the sewer project. He invited questions at the end of his presentation. Councilwoman Hamilton did not ask one question!
In her letter, Ms. Hamilton asks if the people of Pageland want a small increase in sewer rates to expand the two existing plants or a larger increase in rates to build a pipeline. I don’t know what figures Ms. Hamilton is referring to but the Town’s own Sewer Committee Report, which was given to all council members in November 2007, states that the pipeline project is by far the least expensive alternative. In fact, the report predicts sewer rates will go up twice as much if the Town decides to expand its two existing plants instead of building the pipeline.
Ms. Hamilton does correctly point out that the pipeline cost projections are based on receiving 50% grant funding for the project. Based on CCRWC and Alligator’s past successes in obtaining grant money, I believe 50% grant funding is a realistic figure. I also believe, based on conversations with our state and federal elected officials, that more grant funds are available for regional projects than for a single town.
The groups endorsing the sewer pipeline project include the Chesterfield County Council, the County Economic Development Board and the Pageland Chamber of Commerce. All of these groups have a stake in Pageland’s future. As far as I know, the only one opposing the pipeline project is Ms. Hamilton. Even Pageland Mayor Carroll Faile, a critic of the pipeline, has said he will vote for the project if Pageland voters approve it in the March 25 referendum.
The decision to build the pipeline should have been made at our December town council meeting, when over 300 local citizens turned out to urge council to do so. However, a decision was made instead to leave the matter in the hands of the people in the form of a referendum vote.
I maintain that the best course of action for the creation and preservation of jobs, the town’s future growth and development, the lowest possible sewer rates, and for the good of the environment, the best choice is to build the pipeline. I hope all Pageland citizens will vote “Yes” for the sewer referendum on March 25 and send an unmistakable message to any council members who may still have questions about what is best for Pageland.

Brian Hough,
Pageland Town Council

Vote ‘Yes’ on March 25
It is up to the residents that live in the Town of Pageland to make this happen, vote “Yes” on March 25th. The businesses that make up the town and community won’t have a big impact on the sewer referendum vote. The owners, managers, and employees don’t all come from the Town of Pageland. Large portions of these residents are from out of town and cannot vote “YES” on this referendum. The residents of the Town of Pageland are our voice. Most of the businesses have a sewer bill just as the residents but we do not have a voice on March 25th. We need the residents to get out and vote ! We are all depending on you.
Voting “YES” on the sewer referendum will insure that part of Pageland’s future is secure. If you don’t get out and vote you will have no right to complain. This vote of “Yes” will provide plenty of additional sewer capacity for new homes, businesses and industry inside the Pageland town limits and throughout western Chesterfield County. Without additional capacity we will be forced to turn away many prospects. Your voice does matter; one vote can make a difference.
If you wait until your child starts college to start planning for college where will you get the money? If you wait until the sewer will no longer accommodate new and larger businesses or a housing development where will we find the money? You have to prepare for the future by making the necessary changes today. The vote on March 25th can change our present and our future. For the sake of our town and our children I urge you to get out and vote “ YES “ on March 25th. This is our responsibility we have to step up and make the decision.
The Pageland Town Council voted to have a referendum, putting the decision on “YOU” the citizens of Pageland. Make your voice heard loud and clear on March 25th. Vote “YES”

Chad S. Arant,
president, Pageland Chamber of Commerce

Vote ‘No’ March 25
1. The Town of Pageland will be a customer of Chesterfield County Rural Water, not a partner.
2. Chesterfield County Rural Water, although the contracted party, does not treat wastewater and therefore doesn’t control treatment rates.
3. The Town will be required to enter in a 40 year contract.
4. There is no definitive sewer rate for Pageland customers. The current proposed rate is approximate and assumes grants which are not secured. There is no solid sewer rate for Pageland citizens. The Chesterfield County Rural Water Company or Alligator Wastewater Company’s current proposed rate is $5.00 per thousand based on unsecured grants, however CCRWC or Alligator WW Co. hasn’t quoted a base price. The citizens presently pay $13.95 for the first on thousand gallons and $2.95 per thousand gallons thereafter for treatment of wastewater.
5. Scope of services to be provided by Chesterfield County Rural Water is not clear. Who is to provide pump stations and force mains at abandoned plants? What is the capacity of these pump stations? Who is to close out existing plants? Who pays the existing debt on the wastewater plants? Who pays for removal of Inflow/Infiltration within the Town of Pageland?
6. Pretreatment limits have not been determined. Existing industries are required to meet current limits today. The proposed plant that will be built in McBee will have a capacity of 1,000,000 gallons per day. Pageland’s current Wastewater Treatment Plants have a total capacity of 900,000 gallons per day; which means that there will have to be an expansion immediately and the cost will be passed to the citizens of Pageland and other customers.
7. As the majority of the flow at the proposed plant will be from Pageland, Pageland customers will bare the majority of the costs. These cost include transmission lines, plant construction and future plant upgrades (capacity and treatment), and operation and maintenance.
8. Pageland will be required to maintain and operate the Town’s sewer collection system. This cost will be above the proposed rates of Chesterfield County Rural Water. Taking into consideration the above items the cost to treat Wastewater in McBee could be much more than $5.00 per thousand gallons and could be between $5.00 and $8.00 per thousand gallons to treat.
9. Pageland’s plants are sufficiently designed to meet current and proposed limits. Flow increases will required additional expansion.
10. Please consider these facts and vote “NO” on March 25, 2008.

Mayor Carroll Faile
Mayor Pro-Tempore
Martha Hamilton
Council Member Jimmie Baker
Council Member Shane Hancock
Council Member Cathy Smith