POWELLSVILLE – Triumph.

That’s the feeling in the air here after eight long years of waiting has finally paid off.

The Town of Powellsville has been awarded the remaining $210,000 necessary to construct a nearly $4 million town sewer system to service all of its residents.

Mayor Thomas Asbell is ecstatic at this new development.

&uot;Everybody’s really excited; we have been anxiously awaiting this moment to take place,&uot; he exclaimed.

Asbell continued, &uot;In small towns like us of course this is a great thing… because now I feel like we can move forward.

Without central sewer there’s no growth possible, but now that there is going to be (a central sewer) I feel like growth is finally possible in our great little community.&uot;

News came from Raleigh on Tuesday that Powellsville would be one of 50 communities to receive part of a $26 million pot of money from the Clean Water Management Trust Fund.

Powellsville initially applied for funds to begin the project in 1999 and was approved for a portion of the money in 2001.

Town officials have spent the last six years trying to get the remainder of the money needed to complete the project.

&uot;There have been a lot of trips to Raleigh, but in the end it’s all worth it,&uot; Asbell said.

He went on, &uot;It (the money) will be used for a central sewer system. At this time everybody’s still on septic tanks so we’ll now get to have a central system. This proves that persistence pays off.&uot;

Once construction begins on the new project, Asbell says it will take at least 12 months of physical labor before work can be completed.

&uot;The system will be available to everybody in the incorporated limits of the town, but if any additional funds become available we can expand to outside the town,&uot; Asbell added.

He estimates it will be about 18 months – some time in early 2009 – before town residents can expect to have a fully functioning central sewer system.