Brunswick County residents who live within 200 feet of a county water pipe or sewer system must connect or pay a monthly fee. About half of those who haven't connected also haven't paid the fee.

Brunswick County Commissioners are considering doing away with the fees, since the water and sewer systems now pay for themselves.

Board Chairman Bill Sue supports eliminating the fees.

"Now that the water system is on its feet, it's got to the point where it don't justify going and collecting it," says Sue. "And if you can't collect all of them, why should you penalize some people who do pay it? And then when it costs you too much to collect the others, it's not very economical."

Despite the cost of chasing down residents who don't pay it, the water availability fee still nets $50,000 annually. Brunswick County Commissioners will vote on the issue after a public hearing this evening.

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