News 12 at 11 o'clock -- September 21, 2009

GLOVERVILLE, S.C. -- The Valley Public Service Authority in Gloverville, S.C. signed an agreement tonight, giving them 120 days due diligence until they take over the Avondale Mills water system.

The VPSA board of commissioners approved the takeover, but they have 120 days to decide whether they will keep the service.

Brian Joiner of Graniteville told News 12 he hasn't turned on his water in his yard for a month since his bill went up nearly 700 percent last month.

"You have a budget and when you have kids too its just too hard to afford," Joiner said.

His neighbor Jerry Glisson hasn't turned on his water since his went up to nearly 500 dollars last month, he said.

"We haven't been watering the grass," he said. "The Lord's blessed us with some rain lately."

But now that the agreement has been signed both, Glisson and Joiner are hoping that's going to change so their bill can get back to normal, they said.

The VPSA is checking everything out in the Avondale Mills system to make sure that it is suitable to be taken over, said Calvin Smith, VPSA General Manager.

"We have to make sure there's not any environmental issues in there that come from years past," he said.

The Valley water company also deals with the rates for cities such as Warrenville, Gloverville, Langley, Bath, Clearwater and different parts of North Augusta, Calvin said.

One of the main parts of the agreement the group is concerned with is making sure it doesn't effect the rates of the other customers who live in those other cities, Calvin said.

Ronell Smith has lived in Gloverville for more than 40 years and he said he's worried his bill might go up with them taking over another water system.

The VPSA stated during the meeting multiple times that it won't, but only time will tell to make sure that it doesn't.

In the 120 days though, the VPSA has to make sure to come up with enough money to fully takeover the Avondale Mills water system that handles Graniteville's water. Avondale Mills is going to grant the water authority $1 million, the company will get $2 million from stimulus funds, and they will receive $3 million from a donor, but the problem is they are left with about a $6 million shortfall to make up, Calvin said.

If everything goes smoothly over the next 120 days though, they should takeover the system by January. When that happens Graniteville residents will still have higher water rates than they had before the Avondale Mills water rates jumped 700 percent last month, but there isn't any word on how much the water will be.