CELINA-The City of Celina announced this week the longstanding sewer moratorium in place here has been lifted for residential and light commercial use.

“As far as residential, what we have found is we’ve probably got 20 or so less taps today than we had when the moratorium began,” mayor Luke Collins said.  “For that reason, the state has said we can at least go back to where we were when the moratorium started and then proceed with caution and information.”

Collins explained those interested in being added to the city’s sewer system could contact the city at any time for consideration, which would include an evaluation for approval by local sewer system operators and the city’s engineer.

“I am very happy and the aldermen are very happy that we are moving in the right direction, and that we are able to again start allowing for some growth in Celina and allowing people to build new homes in Celina,” Collins said.  “There are also people in Celina, that have lived in Celina for a long time, that have built homes, and we want to try to get to them.

“We certainly want to try to accommodate them, too.”

Besides the surplus of taps currently not in use, Collins explained “the headworks will soon be completed” and plans to further rehabilitate the sewer system are in the works.

“We are going to use some of our Covid money and other money to get some of those things fixed, and we’ve got four grants to help leverage our money, not counting the Covid money,” he said.  “It is millions and millions of dollars that need to be put into this facility and it has to be done over time.

“We want to be good stewards of the environment and we are doing everything we can, but it is going to take some time, because we have to rely on grant dollars for the real lion’s share of the funding.”