Pender County leaders weigh refunds for residents still waiting for county water

PENDER COUNTY, N.C. (WWAY) — Pender County leaders are considering how to address more than 1,500 property owners who paid for access to county water but still have not received service, as one commissioner prepares to travel to Raleigh to discuss funding for expanding water infrastructure.

Pender County Attorney Katie Barber-Jones told commissioners Monday that 1,552 property owners who paid advance tap fees are still waiting for county water, in some cases decades after paying.

“This is to address the grievances of people who have paid and not received water,” Barber-Jones said.

The advance tap fees allowed property owners to secure access in case county water lines were eventually extended to their homes. However, Barber-Jones said the agreements did not guarantee when water service would become available.

“The county did not commit to a timeline for providing water in these agreements,” she said.

According to Barber-Jones, tap fees were $100 in the 1990s and have since increased by 19%.

Commissioner Jerry Groves said some residents have waited too long for the county to provide water service.

“I’ve been on the board three and half years and the county has been lying to these people for three and a half years about getting them water and my predecessor has been here sixteen years and never got these people water, how much longer are they going to wait?” Groves said.

Barber-Jones presented commissioners with three options: automatically refund all 1,552 property owners, continue issuing refunds only to those who request them or notify everyone who paid that a refund is available.

Commissioners indicated they were leaning toward either continuing to provide refunds upon request or notifying affected property owners about the option to receive their money back. County leaders also discussed educating residents about the refund process.

Many residents who do not have access to county water continue to rely on wells. Resident Cheryl Highsmith said her well water is discolored and has a strong odor.

Meanwhile, Commissioner Jimmy Tate is scheduled to travel to Raleigh next week to meet with state officials about expanding water infrastructure into rural areas of Pender County.

Tate told WWAY he plans to meet with officials about potential funding resources for rural water infrastructure.

“We want to make sure we do share that information with the full board what we learn and what we need to do to apply for their resources,” Tate said.