Water deal for Asheville? Going from bad to worse

The deal stripping Asheville of its water system keeps getting worse. 

Along with the $3.5 million annual hit to City taxpayers, now Buncombe County MSD customers might also wind up paying for Henderson County’s sewer upgrades. Rep. Chuck McGrady of Henderson County, who is writing the legislation, tried telling MSD that Henderson’s sewer does NOT need $20 million in improvements, as had been rumored.

In fact, at MSD’s very next meeting, Asheville representatives produced Henderson County’s own 2009 study on the Cane Creek sewer system. Improvements and expansion to that system will actually cost $26 million (not $20 million). Once McGrady makes Cane Creek part of MSD, will that be paid for by Buncombe ratepayers?

Clue: MSD’s promise that in a combined system, water and sewer accounting would be kept separate, so ratepayers in one service wouldn’t be subsidizing ratepayers in the other? McGrady’s visit led MSD to quietly drop that promise.

Finally, after indications that McGrady is considering giving Henderson County a dominant voice on MSD’s Board, Buncombe County’s Bill Stanley summed it up nicely: “Henderson County will be in charge of our infrastructure.” 

Got your checkbooks ready, Buncombe?

Barry Summers

Asheville