Photos by Stephanie Klein-Davis | The Roanoke Times

Veston Clement works to install a trenchless pipe for Grindstaff Underground Utilities, which is subcontracted on the waterline project from Roanoke County into Franklin County.

Josh Andress with Aaron J. Conner General Contractor Inc. uses a hydraulic hammer to dig a hole along U.S. 220 near Boones Mill. The waterline work has begun despite Franklin County not yet being a full-fledged member of the Western Virginia Water Authority.

The Western Virginia Water Authority -- formed with the hopes that it could grow beyond Roanoke and Roanoke County -- is looking to add its first member since the regional entity began operation in 2004.

The process is under way to make Franklin County an authority member -- a move that could set the stage for the Roanoke Valley's use of Smith Mountain Lake as a water source.

Long a rural locality defined more by wells and septic tanks than public water and sewer, Franklin County has seen utility pressures grow in recent years from its burgeoning Smith Mountain Lake community, expanding commercial hub around Rocky Mount and increasing commuter-heavy subdivisions around Roanoke.

"As Franklin County began to grow its utility assets, we made a very conscious decision to pursue involvement with the authority rather than grow our own department with the associated need for equipment, vehicles, expertise and overhead," said County Administrator Rick Huff. "The authority, with its regional mission and cooperative approach to serving the region, provided all of the economies of scale, resources and capabilities that we could have hoped for."

Contract work on authority-based infrastructure improvements have already begun in Franklin County in advance of it becoming a full-fledged authority member. The work includes a new $2 million waterline, stretching from the Franklin County-Roanoke County border south to Wirtz Plateau Plaza at the corner of Wirtz Road and U.S. 220. Crews are working from both ends, and, so far, 6,000 feet of pipe has been installed, said Sarah Baumgardner, the authority's spokeswoman.

Work on the first phase -- from Clearbrook in Roanoke County to the Franklin County line -- is almost complete, awaiting testing and other final details. There are plans to extend water service along Scruggs Road near Westlake in Franklin County, and the water authority recently acquired a wastewater treatment operation at the lake.

The water authority approached the governing bodies of Roanoke city and county in recent weeks about Franklin County's potential membership.

When making presentations to the city and county, Mike McEvoy, the authority's director of wastewater operations, called Smith Mountain Lake the "next big source."

"Adding Franklin offers that," he said. "Franklin needs water in some places, we have surplus water and could help out their needs. And eventually we will be able to take water from SML [the lake] when we need it."

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During a Roanoke County supervisors meeting last month, some questioned whether Franklin County brought assets "of equal value to the table."

Supporters noted that Franklin County doesn't have a lot of infrastructure assets, but it does bring access to the lake, more customers and an opportunity to spread cost and efficiencies.

"I think it's a great relationship," said Gary Robertson, the authority's director of water operations. "We bring a lot, but Franklin brings a lot too."

Roanoke City Councilman Rupert Cutler, who formerly served on the authority board, said that his colleagues are fully in support of Franklin County joining up.

A public hearing on the matter is scheduled for 10 a.m. Nov. 5 at the Vinton War Memorial. After the hearing the Roanoke City Council and the boards of supervisors of Franklin and Roanoke counties -- as well as the authority board -- must vote on Franklin's membership. If the votes pass, Franklin's membership would officially go into effect after final approval by the State Corporation Commission.

Right now, Roanoke city and county each appoint three members to the authority board and together they appoint an at-large position. For the past two years, Huff has held the at-large position. He has resigned his position to prevent a conflict of interest while the county's membership is being considered.

If Franklin County's membership is approved, the seventh seat would go to a county appointee who would have voting rights.

The water authority, which has a $55 million operating budget and employs 260, currently provides services to Roanoke and Roanoke County, some residential developments in the Westlake area of Smith Mountain Lake and some contract customers in Botetourt County.

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Meanwhile, in the Franklin County town of Boones Mill, as the authority already works to extend its waterline down U.S. 220 bisecting the small town, Boones Mill officials are planning major work to upgrade its own water system.

The town council decided in February that it wouldn't try to connect to the impending authority waterline, Town Manager Lynn Frith said.

Frith said he asked town council members if they wanted to try for grant money to improve its own system or just hook up to the water authority's line. The town's water system has operated under a consent order from the Virginia Department of Health for the past six years that requires the town to implement treatment to remove iron and manganese from its three wells.

"Our spring water is great," said Mayor Ben Flora, adding that the water system is a source of revenue for the town. "It's nice to be able to control our own water system."

Flora said he voted to upgrade the town's existing system because it would have to raise water rates if it hooked up to the new authority waterline. If the town was to hook up to new line, it could be subjected to additional quality testing, too, that the town would have to pay for, he said.

Using the water authority's line as an alternative water source in times of drought or contamination isn't an option right now either because of the additional testing, Frith said. But the town did request that the water authority include a hookup in the town in case a need arises in the future.

As with any project of extending a waterline, the water authority contacted all property owners adjacent to the project to gauge interest in hooking up to the line, Baumgardner said. Some residents on Green Level Road that use well water have shown interest, and the nearby town of Rocky Mount is in discussions to use the water authority as an alternative source.

A $3.3 million grant from the state's Drinking Water State Revolving Fund will allow for multiple upgrades to Boones Mill's water system, including new waterlines and meters, a new filtration plant and fencing around the town's water operation.

Acquiring the grant was a huge step in getting rid of the consent order, said A.J. Hostetler, spokeswoman for the Department of Health.

Another loan was acquired from the Department of Health to purchase 33 acres of property adjacent to the town's water tank to house the new filtration plant.

A contractor for the work will be chosen next month and Frith estimates a 2011 completion date.

"The advantages to the residents and community far outweigh the desire to connect" to the water authority's line, Flora said.

Staff writers Cody Lowe and Mason Adams contributed to this report