WINDSOR – Bertie County just added approximately 120 new customers to its rural water system.

During a public hearing held Monday at the Bertie County Commissioners meeting, no one spoke in favor or against a proposal made by Town of Kelford officials for the county to assume operation of the town’s water distribution lines.

Kelford’s elected officials, during an earlier meeting, opted to get out of the business of supplying water. They approached Bertie’s elected leaders to see if they were interested in adding the Kelford customers to the county’s rural water system.

&uot;The Commissioners agreed to Kelford’s offer for the county to take over the town’s water distribution lines,&uot; said County Manager Zee Lamb. &uot;Those 120-or-so customers will be added to the county’s District 4 Rural Water System.&uot;

If the transfer goes as planned, Bertie County will assume the responsibility of supplying water to Kelford residents by May 1. The county will also handle the billing for those water services and provide maintenance on the lines and the hook-ups.

The Commissioners only agreed to take over the distribution lines, not the water tanks or the wells now belonging to the town.

The only matter to clear up on this issue is for the Commissioners to agree to a resolution, stating the takeover of the water lines. Lamb said he hopes to have that resolution ready for approval at the next Commissioners meeting, scheduled for April 18.