A water line extension to connect Sunny View Elementary School and the Sunny View Fire and Rescue is nearing the halfway mark after construction of the extension began on Dec. 15, 2014.

The Polk County Board of Commissioners met Feb. 2 and heard an update on the water line from county manager Marche Pittman.

Pittman said construction started in December and as of Jan. 27 the project was 30 percent complete.

Pittman also said the project has encountered issues with rock, telephone lines and fiber optic cables but the contractor, Steppe Construction, has worked with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (DOT) to change plans to help avoid the issues.

Pittman also told commissioners Steppe Construction took advantage of the Christmas holiday to begin the installation of the line near Sunny View School to help avoid traffic congestion.

The schedule for the completion of the water line is to have it in service before school starts back for the 2015-2016 school year, according to Pittman.

Commissioners approved a construction bid in October 2014 to Steppe Construction for $1,567,340 for the water line. The county appropriated $1.6 million from its fund balance to pay for the water line extension.

Property owners along the water line, which will go from the Mill Spring crossroads (intersection of Highways 9 and 108) and the intersection of Big Level Road and Hwy. 9 in Sunny View will have the opportunity to tap onto the water line for a significantly reduced fee of $700 during construction.

Parcel owners along the line will have until April 20, 2015 to tap on at the reduced fee. Letters were sent to 75 property owners who own approximately 95 parcels along the stretch of construction.

The extension will mean that all Polk County Schools and fire departments will have public water. County water service was also recently connected to Polk Central Elementary School, which was the county’s only other school that operated on a well system prior to the recent water line extensions.

Polk County currently has approximately 140 water customers served through the Inman-Campobello Water District (ICWD).

Polk County and ICWD are currently drafting a contract in order to share water resources.