Development and the availability, quality and cost of utility services can be guided by local government. Generally, development should occur where these services can be provided at least cost or where they can be installed and function without additional costs or failure in the future.

Highland County receives its electrical power from both Allegheny Power and BARC Electric Cooperative. Currently, there is one 69 kV transmission line in the county, as well as one 69-12.5 kV substation. The line owned by Allegheny Power enters Highland at the West Virginia border, paralleling Route 250. The substation is located just north of Monterey (refer toMap 8 ).

In general, the western half of the County is served by Allegheny Power and the eastern half by BARC Electric Cooperative. Generally, 7.2/12.5 kV lines are sufficient to handle light industry or large commercial or recreational facilities. For this reason, areas delineated by power providers in Map 9 offer little limitation to light industry or commercial/recreational development, in terms of available electric power.

Currently, three-phase electrical service can be provided in the area surrounding Monterey, along the corridor of U.S. Route 220 south to Route 84, and along Route 84 to the community of Mill Gap. It can also be provided along the corridor of U.S. Route 250 east of Monterey to the community of McDowell.

Single-phase and three-phase service can be extended from any existing single phase or three-phase facility.
The cost of extending service depends on the following:

• the amount of electricity desired.
• the length of time that electricity will be needed.
• the length of new line required.
• the terrain that the new line will cover.

Highland Telephone Cooperative provides land-based telephone service to the west side of the County, including Monterey and Blue Grass Magisterial Districts.

MGW Telephone provides service to the McDowell and Stonewall Magisterial Districts.

Cell phone service is available in parts of the County; however mountain terrain causes much of the area to be non-accessible for cell phone service.

Both the Highland Telephone Cooperative and MGW Telephone provide Digital Subscriber Line broadband service. Internet access is also available throughout the County via dial-up services.

The Town of Monterey receives its water from three wells.

The wells can produce up to 250,000 gallons of high-quality water per day. Two storage tanks hold up to 300,000 gallons of water respectively. Residential water meters indicate the average daily usage is 70,000 gallons of water per day.

The most recent upgrades to the system are:

• The entire water system is equipped with a state-of-the-art warning system. Critical elements in the system such as the wells and the storage tanks are electronically monitored 24 hours a day. If a problem exists, the town office is notified by phone as is the town employee.
• The storage tanks have been completely refurbished inside and out.
• The Town of Monterey has fencing around the wells required by the Department of Homeland Security.

The McDowell Water System, operated by the Highland County Board of Supervisors, serves 74 customers in the Village of McDowell.

Water is gravity-fed from two wells through approximately 4.5 miles of local distribution line. A third well has been drilled for the village and is not in use to date.

The system is connected to one storage tank which holds 96,000 gallons of water for the village. Records indicate that McDowell water users consume, on average, nearly 12,000 gallons per day.

The County charges users $18.50 monthly for using up to 4,000 gallons of water. All usage over 4,000 gallons is charged $3.78 for every 1,000 gallons metered. The County bills customers every two months for water and sewer usage. There is a $200.00 connection fee plus the actual costs of materials and labor for new hook-ups. $100 is charged to reconnect an existing structure to the system.

Since the village of McDowell is designated as a potential growth area in this plan, some extension of the McDowell water system may occur in the future as needed.

Residents in the remainder of the county receive their water primarily from a variety of private wells and springs. Because of its location among limestone formations (and the potential for aquifer contamination), the area around Blue Grass may be considered for public water availability in the future.

Because the 220 corridor between Monterey and Vanderpool is a potential growth area (particularly for industry), public water may need to be made available in this area in the future.

The Town of Monterey operates one wastewater treatment facility. Wastewater is carried to the plant via three-and-one-half miles of gravity sewer lines, ranging in size from four to eight inches in diameter. There are approximately 65 manholes in the system. See the related table below for information on system fees.

On an average, the system treats 44,000-66,000 gallons of wastewater per day. With the proposed plant in place, the town will have the capacity to treat up to 120,000 gallons per day. The system serves the following 271 customers:

• 219 both water and sewer.
• 8 with sewer only.
• 44 with water only.

The Town of Monterey has a rehabilitation program underway for the wastewater disposal system here. New lines have been installed in part of the town. Soon, a new treatment plant will be installed. Town Council is working with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality on this project.

Other extensions may occur at the Town’s periphery, as any growth is likely to grow outward from the Town’s center. It is important that potential growth go hand-in-hand with planned utility extensions. Extensions made to the existing system will also depend heavily on the new customers’ willingness to pay connection fees (see below).

Wastewater in the remainder of the county is disposed of primarily via septic systems. Since the efficacy of a septic system can be dependent upon the absorption capacity of the soil, as well as slope, parts of the County are not conducive to effective septic systems.

The Town of Monterey bills customers every two months for water and sewer usage according to the following fee structure:

• Between 8,000-20,000 gallons - $2.70 per 1,000 gallons.
• More than 20,000 gallons - $1.56 per 1,000 gallons.

• Renters are required to pay a $50 connection deposit for existing structures.

Newly-built structures are added to the system if the customer pays $1,125 water connection fee and $1,125 sewer connection fee. All new connections must also be approved by Monterey Town Council.