Limestone County water and sewer customers could go even further without seeing a rate increase thanks to a recent bond refinancing approved by the water and sewer authority’s board.

Daryl Williamson, chief executive officer for Limestone County Water & Sewer Authority, said the refinancing will save the authority about $5.1 million over the next 25 years. This is in addition to a refinancing in 2019, which brings the total saved to about $33 million, he said.

The board chose to refinance now due to lower interest rates, which in turn allows the authority to take the money it’s saved and reduce its annual principal and interest payments, according to Williamson. Additionally, it allows more flexibility for not raising rates for customers.

“It was a really good outcome for the rate payers of Limestone County Water & Sewer,” Williamson told The News Courier.

The decision was discussed and approved during Thursday’s meeting.

Realtors wanted

LCWSA board members also discussed what to do about the authority’s now unused building on South Jefferson Street. For years, operations were split between two locations — customer service at the South Jefferson Street location near downtown and a building on U.S. 72 in west Athens used for warehousing and administration.

When the pandemic hit, both buildings were closed to in-person traffic, and in May 2020, LCWSA announced it would reopen the U.S. 72 location to handle all operations. The U.S. 72 building had been renovated during the closure to make it even more welcoming for customers.

Athens City Council considered a resolution to purchase the South Jefferson Street building, which sits next door to an Athens Utilities location, for $784,000. However, not enough council members voted in favor of the purchase, and Williamson said Friday that the board was now looking for a realtor to help them find someone else to purchase the property.

Williamson encouraged realtors with experience in commercial real estate to visit limestonecountywater.com for a list of qualifications requested by the board and information on submitting a proposal for the next board meeting.

Work on Nick Davis

Travelers on Nick Davis Road near Limestone Correctional Facility will be asked to use a little extra caution on the road as crews work to replace a pipe at a bridge near the prison.

Williamson said the work should not affect water usage in the area but could see the road set at one lane only while the project is underway.