| 316 W. Commerce St. | Hernando, Mississippi | 38632 | 662-429-4414 | fax 429-0952 |  |
 |
Wastewater Plant Historic for DeSoto
by Robert Lee Long, DeSoto Times news staff
The crown jewel of a $100 million wastewater treatment system hatched half a decade ago in a bean field southeast of Hernando was dedicated August 25 as more than 100 people crowded under a tent in the hot sun to witness the unveiling of the Short Fork Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant.
“It signifies a very historic day in DeSoto County,” said Bill Austin, chairman of the DeSoto County Regional Utility Authority (DCRUA) as he helped U. S. Sen. Thad Cochran, chairman of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, cut the ribbon for the facility.
“We had to have a modernized state-of-the-art facility to deal with the wastewater challenge in our area,” said Cochran. Mississippi’s senior senator also said having infrastructure like the treatment plant was one main reason that 197 new industries came to DeSoto County over the past decade. “No other county can match that record of growth,” Cochran said. “This is a big day in the life of DeSoto County.”
B. J. Paige, DCRUA Board President, said the treatment plant was just a dream during its early inception. “When we first started out we didn’t have any cash flow at all – no money,” Paige said. “We can’t say enough about our people in Washington and what they’ve done for this project.”
U. S. Rep. Roger Wicker said it’s hard to believe the wastewater treatment plant is now reality. “I was there four years ago in that bean field when we broke ground,” Wicker said. “This is part and parcel and absolutely essential to the growth we have.”
Jessie Medlin, DeSoto County Board of Supervisors President, said future generations will look back and thank state, federal and local officials for having the foresight to complete the project. “It’s something our children and grandchildren will think about,” Medlin said.
Once completed, there will be more than 100 miles of new sewer lines throughout the county. The wastewater project is the largest works project ever in DeSoto County, and the cost of major components is expected to be between $110 million and $140 million.