After a presentation before the Bertie County Board of Commissioners last week at the Blue Jay Fire Department in Indian Woods, the Commissioners voted unanimously for the county to assume ownership and operation of the South Windsor Water Authority.

Anthony Ward, spokesman for the Authority, made a presentation before the board and told the commissioners that the system is in good condition both physically and financially.

The South Windsor Water Authority was established in 1969 and began operations a year later. SWWA has approximately 170 to 180 customers, mainly in private residences, located in Bertie Water District III, but, to date, they are not served by the county’s water system.

The Authority has its own board of directors and Ward told the commissioners that since many of those board members are beginning to “age out” the residents voted at a July 26 meeting to turn the water lines, meters and all over to the county as operator of the system.

After some lengthy discussion by the commissioners, a motion was made to move forward and positively receive the request and agree in principal to accept the South Windsor system.

“This is pursuant to the county attorney, Lloyd Smith, drafting a contract to effectuate the transfer,” said County Manager Scott Sauer in a telephone interview.

Commissioner Rick Harrell raised the question of whether there were any engineering issues and if an engineering review had been conducted.

“McDavid Associates of Farmville, the county’s consulting engineering firm, would have some input on this issue,” Sauer said. “They’ve done extensive consulting for all the county’s water districts for a number of years.”

Commissioner Ronald D. Wesson made a motion in principal, seconded by Commissioner John Trent, for the county to acquire the system after review by the consultants and the county attorney prepares a contract.

The motion passed unanimously.