The County Commission voted unanimously on Wednesday to have the Hamilton County Water and Wastewater Treatment Authority (WWTA) to regulate and operate decentralized sewage systems.
The vote came after three commissioners - David Sharpe, Greg Beck and Warren Mackey -were in favor of a motion to defer the vote until May 14 to allow the WWTA board more time to refine its regulations on the decentralized units.
More local developers are turning to the systems since much of the rural part of the county is not yet reached by sewage lines.
Commissioner Gene-o Shipley, who had a long plumbing career, had pushed for the resolution, saying he was concerned that the new systems could fail and the WWTA would then have to take them over.
He said the systems should be operated by the county's sewer authority (WWTA) rather than corporations he said that may only operate here temporarily.
WWTA Executive Director Mike Patrick said he supported the Shipley resolution.
Commissioner Chip Baker said the Spangler Farm project on Walden's Ridge "is out of control." He said that project that is using a decentralized system "is trying to put 205 houses on rock."
He said he is "for development, but they have to be developed right."
Commissioner Baker expressed concern about a bill he said is advancing in the state Legislature that would allow projects with decentralized systems to be exempt from control by the local sewer authority.