By Josh Bergeron 

josh.bergeron@salisburypost.com

Public meetings scheduled this week may produce decisions on whether questions about water quality in Dukeville will be answered by a water line or filtrations systems.

Duke Energy  on Wednesday and Thursday will hold public meetings to discuss details of permanent water solutions for people who live near coal ash ponds. There are two options — connecting to a municipal water line managed by Rowan County government or a filtration system.

The open-house meetings will be at Trading Ford Baptist Church, 3600 Long Ferry Road, Salisbury. On both days, the meetings will start at 3:30 p.m. and end at 7:30 p.m. For people with questions in advance, Duke Energy included contact information on documents mailed to local residents.

The company has requested that those eligible for a water line or filtration systems sign up for a specific time during the two-day period.

If 75 percent of eligible residents sign up for municipal water service, Duke Energy has said it would reimburse the costs incurred by Rowan County to install a 6-inch line. Otherwise, a water filtration system may be the solution Duke Energy selects.

Rowan County hopes to build a line that is 12 inches at its largest point. The larger line would be adequate for nearby industrial sites; a 6-inch line would not. Duke has not publicly said whether it would cover the cost of a 6-inch line and leave the added cost of a larger line to Rowan County.

After the public meetings this week, local residents have been asked by Duke Energy to indicate their preferred option for water.

The decision for Dukeville residents may be complicated by financial offers made by Duke. The company has offered to pay for 25 years of water bills in a lump sum. Additionally, Duke has offered a $5,000 “goodwill payment” if residents absolve the company of responsibility for groundwater contamination. Duke Energy has said accepting both parts of the financial offer would result in a lump sum of $20,000 for each resident. However, eligible people would be able to accept one payment and decline the other.

Duke also has offered a property protection plan for people who sell their homes and don’t receive fair-market value in a sale.

Contact reporter Josh Bergeron at 704-797-4246.