The first of 20 homes in the Fox Road area should start getting county water service late this week - two years after it was discovered that some of their water wells were tainted.

Another 92 homeowners whose homes haven’t shown signs of contamination can also hook up for a fee.

Bryan Land, Public Works director for Richmond County, said construction of a 12-inch main on a portion of U.S. 1 to Deer Trail has been completed. The water lines have been tested for bacteria and pressure. Rolling Hills and Ridge Road are now both completed as well.

‘We are looking to install taps to those lines this week,” Land said. “We will also install meters.”

The entire $682,000 project should be finished by early next year.

Many residents are hopeful and thankful about the current situation.

“We thank God that they have started getting the water lines taken care of,” said Emma Ellerbe of Fox Road. “It was a blessing to get funding for this concern, and that the county stepped up and did the right thing. They laid those pipes in almost no time.”

“I think everything is positive now that the folks can see construction,” Land said “And we will continue to make way while the sun is shining.”

Mary Fulp isn’t on the list of those that can tap on for free because her well water hasn’t shown contamination.

“The paper left on my door said that we have to pay $500 to have the water hooked up,” Fulp said. “I can’t afford it, I am on a fixed income.”

Sago said if an individual thinks that they are now contaminated they would need to contact the Richmond County Health Department to have their well tested.

Fulp said that she still doesn’t drink her water and barely cooks with it.

“They said that my water was not contaminated when they first tested it, but now it could be,” Fulp said. “It isn’t good to take a bath in it either, but what can we do?”

The contamination in 20 wells is apparently from pesticides and chemicals used when the area was a peach orchard in the 1950s and 1960s.

The water line was delayed because some of the roads in the area weren’t dedicated state right-of-way. The rules say public funds can’t be used to lay utility lines under private property. Getting the money was the next hurdle. Initial estimates anticipated the lines would cost upwards of $2 million. A later estimate was placed at $1.1 million. Nine companies bid on the project, but Concord Buildings, Inc., of Concord, was the low bid at $682,579. The highest bid was $1.1 million. Weak demand for construction was credited for the low bid by Concord.

While the Public Works Department is waiting on state approval of the finished lines, they have starting laying pipe on E.V. Hogan Drive and up 177 North towards Ponderosa Drive.

“We should be able to hit the target with no problem,” Land said. “The total job is about 25 percent complete.

Staff Writer Hollie Nivens can be reached at (910) 997-3111 ext. 19 or by e-mailing at hnivens@yourdailyjournal.com