Ancient sewer system still causing problems

A sewer line behind Moore Grocery that goes to an old lagoon off Highway 72 is still causing problems for residents in the industrial park area, according to District 3 supervisor Keith Taylor. The lagoon was closed by the state, he said.

Taylor said an 87-year-old man is being sued over the matter but the county has no say in the matter.

“The busted line and sewer is going into other people (peoples houses) and is backing up,” Taylor said. “MDEQ (Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality) has supervision. The pipe is not repaired.”

Zoning director Ken Jones said dozer work was thought to have hit the pipe but had instead disturbed the soil.”

“One person said they saw a pipe,” Taylor said.

“I know the state won’t allow any new service on that system,” Jones said.

Taylor said the lot is served by a community water system. “If MDEQ is over them, they need to be talking to them,” Taylor said.

Board attorney Larry Britt asked if the state condemned the sewer when it took over the property.

Justin Hall, executive director of the Marshall

County Industrial Development Authority, joined in the conversation to try to reconstruct the events causing recent problems in the area.

He said there was a sewer and there were two lagoons back from 2010 to 2012 in the Hyline Drive area.

A residential developer had put in the lagoon and was responsible to maintain the lagoon, but the developer left and MDEQ stepped in to oversee the lagoon on the north side of Highway 72 and the south side of the highway

“They relocated the pipes when 72 expanded (to four lane),” Hall said.

Taylor said the property sold and the new owner hit the pipe.

“We need to give them some answers,” Taylor said. “Sewer is running out somewhere. We need to call MDEQ and get somebody up here. The neighbor said MDEQ came two weeks ago. I know of some illegal sewage over the county. Every time somebody flushes it is going out.”

District 1 supervisor Charles Terry asked if the operator called 811 before he worked.

Taylor said nobody had marked the sewer line.

“The homeowner is getting threats to sue from the new property owner,” Taylor said. “We need to get somebody to help.”

Hall said the the sewer was put in fifty or sixty years ago.

Taylor said there are houses on the system.

Hall said anyone who builds will have to put in a separate septic system.

District 5 supervisor Ronnie Joe Bennett said residents were told they were approved at MDEQ.

Taylor said MDEQ needs to come down and get the local delegation involved in resolving the problem.

Taylor made a motion to authorize the county board attorney Amanda Whaley Smith and Britt to contact MDEQ to see what the agency can do.

“We don’t want to get our feet wet in it,” Bennett said. “We won’t be responsible for any of it. MDEQ has to be over it.”

District 4 supervisor George Zinn III said several years ago a determination was made that the soil there would not carry any more water.

Hall said DEQ came in and reviewed the situation.

Britt said the property was an old trailer park area located behind the service station.

MDEQ has ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds that should cover the costs of correcting the problem, Britt said.

“Previously, I was told MDEQ would have ARPA funds to correct sewer issues,” Britt said. “MDEQ would have ARPA funds to correct sewer issues. It would be a lot involved to go and put in new taps and a treatment system.”

“The land is flat clay and won’t perk out,” Bennett said. “When it was built it had to be some kind of association to build it. It had been regulated then. I think MDEQ is responsible.”

Taylor said the sewer system serving the industrial park area is not far away. A lift station would be needed to pump the sewage over to the sewer.

Whoever is responsible needs to have a plan, he said.

“We didn’t cause it, but it’s been that way for 30 to 40 years,” he said. “Those (property) owners need to be hooked on to the sewer and eliminate the lagoon. I say, once we get to that step, get DEQ to come and make a recommendation. We need to address it because it is right around our industrial everything.”