After many years, countless studies and several city governments, the city of Senoia narrowed down its options for providing sewerage for the town's residents.

The town's city council decided Monday night to allow Mayor Joan Trammell to enter into negotiations with Southern Mills to purchase the company's wastewater treatment plant and adjoining spray-site land.

The council also decided that Councilman Robert Hannah and sewer committee member Bill Roy would also enter into negotiations with the city of Peachtree City about providing sewerage treatment to the town.

Trammell thanked the members of the sewer committee for working for nearly a year on the sewerage issue. The committee studied several options and Trammell said it was time for the city to get busy in offering a final solution to the town's residents.

The city already has a $500,000 grant in hand from the Department of Community Affairs to help fund the system and provide sewerage to the town's low-income residents.

While no cost has yet been attached to either option, it is expected the city will go searching for more grants and loans to help fund the project. After the city provides sewerage to the low income residents, the next priority will be the Martinwood subdivision, which has a failed drip irrigation system and is being pumped out by city workers on a regular basis.

Trammell's next priorities for sewer include the town's central business district and the commercial nodes along Ga. Highway 16 to help spur development in those areas.

In a somewhat related issue, the council also gave Trammell permission to negotiate with Coweta County on a new water contract for the city. After a year of study, it now appears likely the city will not restart the city's water plant that has been dormant since 1994.

The county recently offered to lower the rate it charges the city and Trammell said the difference in the county's rate and what the city would have to charge if it started selling water again is not significant.