By Bill Grubb
News Editor

ROGERSVILLE " Where they should be, that is how the superintendent of the Rogersville Water System describes the system's finances at the mid-year point.
    At Monday night's meeting Superintendent Shawn Hatchett briefed member's of the Water Commission on revenues and expenditures for the utility as of December.
    "As of right now, we have actually spent $1,258,176.17. That brings us in at 49.3 percent of our budget," Hatchett said. "We're right where we should be right now."
    According to the superintendent, the first six months generated revenues of $1,270,000, slightly more than expenditures.
    He also noted that in December the utility gave customers a gift, in that no water was disconnected.
    Commission member and Alderman Wayne Slater asked if the December collection of more than $3,000 in penalties was unusual for the utility, with Hatchett responding that it was not.
    "We have some die hards that pay the bill as soon as they get it," Hatchett explained.  "The due date is the 12th and then from the 13th until the cut off date of the 24th they really roll in.  We probably get 30 percent of our collections between the 13th until the cut off date."
    The superintendent added that some of the individuals are chronically delinquent and have been on the list of individuals to have water terminated "three and four months in a row."
    "They pay the fees continuously.  I guess they must have more money than they have sense," he added.
    The superintendent also told commission members that a digital sewer mapping project was complete and the town's sewer lines were now able to be displayed on computer, which he displayed by showing members on an iPad.
     Hatchett said the mapping project, which will eventually be expanded to include water lines, found the system has more than 700 sewer manholes alone.
    Slater said having computerized maps will represent a significant improvement for the system.
    "When I first got on the water board I couldn't figure out why they didn't have a map.  We had no maps of anything," Slater said.