Green Bank and surrounding areas could get a public water system in the near future if the Pocahontas County Public Service District (PSD) approves a plan proposed by Thrasher Engineering.

On January 26, Thrasher engineer Randy Watson briefed the PSD on a plan to run water to Green Bank, Arbovale and Dunmore. The engineer displayed a large map of the proposed system to the PSD board.

The map showed water lines running as far north as the airstrip above NRAO; south to Dunmore and a loop around Wesley Chapel Road. The plan includes a 500 gallon per minute (gpm) water plant at Deer Creek on the Greenbrier River; a 200,000 gallon tank on Upper Mountain; a 150,000 gallon tank on Hill 3371; a 175 gpm pump station at Benchmark 2589 and a master meter control valve at Cass.

Thrasher Engineering prepared the plans on a contingency basis, hoping to obtain a contract if the PSD goes forward with the project.

The system would cost an estimated $10.5 million and serve approximately 350 customers, including the NRAO and Green Bank Elementary/Middle School.

A follow-on phase could interconnect the Green Bank system with the Bartow-Frank-Durbin water system.

Wayne Galford, proprietor of Wayne's Stop-N-Shop in Arbovale, spoke in favor of the system.

Galford said the county Health Department is forcing him and other business owners to install costly chlorination systems - an expense that might be avoided if a public system was being built.

"It isn't just me," the store owner said. "It's everybody with a convenience store, anyone that's got a little snack shop, anybody that sells food has got to do this.

"The thing about it is, they gave me six months. They gave me till the first of July to put it in," he added. "But other stores - they gave a year. Now it doesn't make good sense. If they can give them a year then why can't they give me a year?

"If I have to put it in and then you all decide six months later you're going to run water by there - I've thrown away $3,000."

PSD water manager Rick Barkley said petitions were circulated about seven years ago, but little interest was shown in a Green Bank-area water system.

"They put petitions out but there were very few signatures," he said.

Galford said many area residents wanted public water to reduce their fire insurance rates.

The PSD agreed to hold a public meeting in the Green Bank area to hear citizen comments on the proposed water system. The date and time of the meeting will be announced.