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TWSA officials hear complaints from Sylva’s Leatherwood
By Justin Goble
A Sylva resident accused local water and sewer officials of fraud and extortion last Tuesday (March 21).
Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority officials heard from Marie Leatherwood during their regular meeting, who charged the authority with selling her dirty water for more than 17 years.
“I want every penny back for the dirty water you sold me and made me drink,” she said. “You sold it to me and did nothing about it. That’s fraud and extortion. You wouldn’t sell this water to the people in power. You wouldn’t sell this to (Commissioners’ Chairman and TWSA board member) Brian McMahan.”
Leatherwood admitted to having clear, drinkable water after her house was connected to another water line. The grievance she had with the board last Tuesday was the damage she claims years of dirty water have done to her home.
“I have had to replace four hot water heaters in the past 17 years,” Leatherwood said. “The leaks (caused by burst water heaters) have nearly destroyed my home.”
TWSA Chairman Randall Turpin said he appreciated that Leatherwood had brought the issue to the board, and was hopeful they could help find a solution to the problem.
“This board is sympathetic to your cause,” Turpin said. “I hope you respect the fact that the board has to make a decision based on the information you provided.”
Turpin suggested Leatherwood get a damage estimate from a contractor to bring before the board. Then they would decide what action to take, he said.
In other business March 21:
– Officials unanimously approved a change to TWSA’s metering policy for trailer parks.
The change will allow landlords on new, multi-unit trailer parks connecting to the system to decide whether they want to have a master meter reading, which bills the park as a whole, or to bill tenants individually.
In the past, the only option landlords had was master metering.
Need for the policy change arose when TWSA allowed Webster Estates owner Vicki Todd to switch from a master meter to individual billing for her tenants.
Todd said the single-meter billing was hurting many of those staying at her trailer park, since they had to pay for water they may not be using, and she couldn’t charge heavy users for the amount they consume.
“I’m going to have to raise everybody’s rates whether it was their fault or not,” she said.
– The board unanimously turned down a request for two free sewer tap-ins for Habitat for Humanity.
Habitat officials from the organization wanted the tap-ins for a duplex being built in the Cashiers area. Habitat is annually given one free tap every 12 months from the authority.
The reason for the rejection was a moratorium in place for additional allocations on the Cashiers system. TWSA Director Joe Cline said the authority had to halt allocation in the area since the Cashiers wastewater plant is exceeding its gallons-per-day limit. New allocations would have to wait until plant expansion takes place, he said.
Board members considered waving the moratorium for Habitat, but decided against it.
“We have granted free taps in the past, but what about other people with worthwhile causes that may ask us?,” asked board member Jim Cochran.
Cline suggested the organization get on the waiting list for Cashiers allocations.
– TWSA’s next regular workshop meeting will be Tuesday, April 4, at 5:30 p.m.
Officials had to reschedule their usual time on the second Tuesday of the month to allow for a multi-jurisdictional meeting called by county commissioners.
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