Senoia officials

are hopeful they will find out about the funding of their sewer system

in the next two weeks.

The total price

for the system is $8.5 million, which is $2 million more than the city

expected when it estimated the price two years ago.

City engineer

Ben Turnipseed told the council earlier this year the nearly two-year

delay in getting the project to the bid status, plus the increased costs

of fuel had increased the price.

The price also

increased because the city is upping the capacity at the treatment plant

from 70,000 gallons a day to 490,000 gallons a day to cover the city's

growth over the next few years.

The city has

$6.6 million in funding secured for the project, so an additional $1.9

million is needed from Rural Development to fund the project.

Once the funding

is secured, Turnipseed said the city would issue revenue bonds to cover

the project. With additional building projects already on the drawing

board, the additional costs would be covered, he added.

The revenue

bonds will be issued for 40 years, Turnipseed said.

City administrator

Murray McAfee said the city's first priority when the system is built

will be getting the septic-challenged subdivision of Martinwood online

with the sewer system.

Martinwood's

system failed several years ago, and the city has been pumping out the

system for a number of years.

"It's

costing us about $750 a week," McAffee said.

After Martinwood

is connected, city officials will move rapidly to connect the rest of

the city's existing households, he added.

While city

residents will not have to pay a tap fee, they will have to pay for pipe

to run from the sewer line into their home, McAffee said.

The city is

busy lining up plumbing contractors to handle the connections. McAffee

does not know what the cost will be, but said it will be worth it to the

residents.

"I've

talked to a lot of real estate people and they all say that a house connected

to sewer is worth about $3,000 more than a home with a septic tank,"

he said.

City officials

will send out information on the contractors next year when the hook-up

time draws closer.