Union County Water announced on Friday (Sept. 23), it is accepting applications for its Short Water Line Extension Program.

According to a press release by Union County Government, the program provides property owners in the county the opportunity to apply for connection to the county water system and receive clean, safe drinking water.

Applications are accepted now through December 20, 2022 with a 5:00 p.m. deadline.

To apply, residents must meet one of the following criteria:

• Existing residence served by a private well
• Vacant lot with an active building permit for construction of an individual residence not subject to the subdivision development process
• Commercial, institutional, agricultural, or other non-residential property with a service connection of one inch or smaller

“The Board of County Commissioners has a continued commitment to expand water service to residents who desire it,” said Dennis Rape, Chairman of the Board of Commissioners in the release. “This is an investment I’m proud to support and it’s important to the health and safety of our residents.”

Eligible residents with a well are required to provide results of well testing with their application, according to the release. A well water sample request form can be found on the Union County website. Union County noted interested applicants should take into consideration the time it takes to to obtain a sample and then receive the test results back, given the the December 20 application deadline.

The County said Joint applications with multiple homeowners in the same area are encouraged. The County said neighbors applying under a joint application, to serve multiple properties with one water line extension, reduces the financial burden and increases the application ranking.

Applications will be prioritized based on a points system, adding extra weight to applicants with failing wells or concerns over quality of their well water.

If approved, Union County said the homeowner will be required to share in the costs for the project.

“The County is covering the majority of the costs for this program, so it’s a great opportunity for residents on a well to connect to county water,” said Hyong Yi, Water Administrator. “However, approved applicants will be responsible for the fees associated with tapping into our water system. Those costs are outlined on our website.”

An enhanced Short Water Line Extension Program was approved by the Board of County Commissioners in 2019. Since then, the County said they have continued to make investments in the program.

The program, which is part of the County’s Water and Sewer Capital Improvement Program, is largely based on the Comprehensive Water and Wastewater Master Plan, according to the release. The County said the comprehensive plan provides a 20-year projection of system needs.

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Originally Appeared Here