Land purchase options finalized for Scott County rural water district; project to move forward

SIKESTON, Mo. — Public Water Supply District 4 in Scott County will move forward thanks to the finalization of negotiations for land purchase options.

The purchase and contracts were announced in a Tuesday news release from Dennis Meier, president of the PWSD No. 4.

The site for the new water treatment plant will be just south of Haywood City on Route U.

According to the news release, the completion of negotiations allows the water district to move forward with the first phase of its countywide project to supply the rural areas of Scott County with treated water.

Phase one of the project is projected to cost $9.15 million and will be supported by a grant of $3.5 million with the remainder of the project funded by a revenue bond which will be paid off by usage fees. This first phase of the project will serve over 720 customers in the southern part of the county.

The next steps in the project require the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to approve engineering and operating plans before a final review of the project by U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development officials. Rural Development has provided the grant money for the project and will assist in the financing of the revenue bonds. Following the satisfactory completion of this review, the water district will be given the green light to submit requests for proposals from contractors to build the water treatment plant and to lay the 117 miles of water main lines.

It is anticipated that the bidding process could be completed sometime in the spring with construction to begin shortly thereafter. It is expected that the construction phase of the project and connecting phase-one customers could take up to one year to complete.

"I probably get questioned more about the water district than anything else in this county," Scott County Presiding Commissioner Jamie Burger said Tuesday after seeing the news release. "Some people want it so bad and they want to know when it is coming to their area. They don't want to miss it."

Burger said the water district will be one of the best things to happen for county residents.

Rural county residents who are interested in becoming members of the water district can contact Phil Lyon, water district clerk, at 573-380-7557 or 573-472-6114.

The water district board meets at 5 p.m. the second Thursday of each month at the offices of Waters Engineering, 908 South Kingshighway in Sikeston. These meetings are open to the public.

For additional information, please go to the water district's website at www.pwsd4.com.