CHARLESTON, W.Va. - A bailout of Pratt's ailing sewer system inched a little closer on Thursday.

Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper said officials with the Regional Development Authority agreed to loan the troubled system $100,000 on Thursday, provided Pratt officials agree to raise sewer rates and work out a deal with the Chelyan Public Service District to provide much-needed maintenance.

Pratt's sewer system is on the brink of being put into financial receivership. While the system has been able to pay most of its bills, town officials have been unable to pay for repairs to the system. Officials for the state Department of Environmental Protection continue to cite town officials for allowing raw sewage to escape from the sewer system, and Pratt is in violation of a DEP order to hire a qualified sewer plant operator.

County commissioners Kent Carper, Dave Hardy and Hoppy Shores say the system's problems have gotten too big for Pratt officials to solve on their own.

"I am absolutely positive the mayor of Pratt [Joe Douglas] is doing everything he can," Carper stressed. "It is not his fault."

But unless town officials immediately raise rates, enter into a management agreement with officials from Chelyan and take advantage of the RDA loan, county officials don't know how the sewer system will survive.

"This is, at best, a temporary state of affairs that will keep them out of receivership," Carper said.

In the long run, Pratt will have to merge its water and sewer systems with Chelyan, or Pratt, Upper Kanawha Valley and Chelyan's public service districts will have to be dissolved and sold to the West Virginia American Water Company, Carper said.

Reach Rusty Marks

at rustyma...@wvgazette.com

or 348-1215.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - A bailout of Pratt's ailing sewer system inched a little closer on Thursday.

Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper said officials with the Regional Development Authority agreed to loan the troubled system $100,000 on Thursday, provided Pratt officials agree to raise sewer rates and work out a deal with the Chelyan Public Service District to provide much-needed maintenance.

Pratt's sewer system is on the brink of being put into financial receivership. While the system has been able to pay most of its bills, town officials have been unable to pay for repairs to the system. Officials for the state Department of Environmental Protection continue to cite town officials for allowing raw sewage to escape from the sewer system, and Pratt is in violation of a DEP order to hire a qualified sewer plant operator.

County commissioners Kent Carper, Dave Hardy and Hoppy Shores say the system's problems have gotten too big for Pratt officials to solve on their own.

"I am absolutely positive the mayor of Pratt [Joe Douglas] is doing everything he can," Carper stressed. "It is not his fault."

But unless town officials immediately raise rates, enter into a management agreement with officials from Chelyan and take advantage of the RDA loan, county officials don't know how the sewer system will survive.

"This is, at best, a temporary state of affairs that will keep them out of receivership," Carper said.

In the long run, Pratt will have to merge its water and sewer systems with Chelyan, or Pratt, Upper Kanawha Valley and Chelyan's public service districts will have to be dissolved and sold to the West Virginia American Water Company, Carper said.

Reach Rusty Marks

at rustyma...@wvgazette.com

or 348-1215.