BLUEFIELD, W. Va. -If you live in Bluefield, West Virginia, Bluefield Virginia, or other surrounding communities, you likely rely on the Bluefield Sanitary Board to maintain the sewer systems that connect the Greater Bluefield area. However, that could be changing, with the first reading of an ordinance to sell the Board to West Virginia American Water held on Tuesday.
The Bluefield Sanitary Board have been planning a series of changes to the “sewer community” throughout the city and surrounding area. However, the Board itself may become the next thing to be changed, with discussions taking place behind the scenes to sell it and its wastewater system assets to West Virginia American Water.
“West Virginia American Water approached the City of Bluefield and the Sanitary Board and had made a proposal and wanted to talk about potentially selling it, so we’ve been in discussions for about the last year and a half to get us to this point,” says Bluefield City Manager Cecil Marson.
Marson says, if this potential sale goes through, Bluefield Sanitary Board customers can expect no change in rate for the next five years beyond what was already approved last July.
Bluefield’s mayor says West Virginia American Water would pay the City’s bonds (a total payoff of $12,486,908.49), making them debt free, along with an approximate net sale of $19,257,328.18.
They also plan to complete the five main Sanitary Board projects in the next five years, something Marson says has already taken close to a decade of planning to secure funding.
“The Sanitary Board has been phenomenal; they’ve done a great job, but we have still some big infrastructure challenges that… need to be addressed. And so, yes, that absolutely factored into it, but I would say that our Sanitary Board is a great organization, done a really good job, and I think it’s… strengthened our position really to have this discussion and do what we can, the best for the citizens,” says Marson.
With communities around the city currently relying on the Sanitary Board, Marson says they’ve been in discussions with the City as well.
Bluefield, Virginia, in particular has been planned to benefit from the sale, with the Town potentially getting three million dollars and a couple seats on the local advisory board alongside the City’s three. That is if the sale goes through.
If you would like to learn more about this potential sale or want to voice your own opinion, the City will be holding a public hearing on Monday, April 7th at 6:00 pm at the Bluefield Arts Center. Marson says there is still a ways to go before any decision is finalized.
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