Four McMinnville Water Department customers will soon see a change in their bill, as far as who they pay. 
The city Water and Sewer Committee has approved a measure to relinquish four customers at the intersection of Highway 8 and Shellsford Road to Warren County Utility District. The four are near Warren County’s EMS station.

According to Water Department director Anthony Pelham, a leak at the intersection will be costly to repair.
“There is leak in the ditch right in front of the EMS building that became a lot worse last week, as you can imagine, with the weather,” said Pelham. “To correct it, I need to kill the line. It only goes to those four. To replace and upgrade would require approximately 1,000 feet of pipe and a road bore up Highway 8. It’s currently serviced by a 1-inch galvanized line that’s failing. It’s leaking presently and my estimate to replace it would be in excess of $20,000.”

The area is outside the city limits.

“Those customers are in the Warren County Utility District service area,” said Pelham. “They have a 12-inch line already there. My request, although not my place to approve it, would be to seek committee approval to cut and cap our line, abandon the old dilapidated line, and either sell for fair market value or trade out services for them.”

Alderman Everett Brock asked if the homeowners have issues with becoming water customers of Warren County Utility District.

“I haven’t spoken to them,” said Pelham. “They are going to get about 40 pounds of pressure better. It would be off a 12-inch line as opposed to 1 inch. The rates are essentially equivalent since there’s no sewer.

They aren’t inside the city. If you look at where the city limits are, we are well beyond any growth projection I can fathom.”

The process to transfer the four customers, said Pelham, should be done within the month.