The Pike County Commission approved a resolution by the Coffee County Water Authority Monday that will give all Pike County territorial rights in the Tarentum area to the New Hope Water System.

Mack King, certified operator at the New Hope Water System, said that, in 1971, Tarentum and New Hope shared a water system. At that time, only a few customers used the system. Since that time, the number has grown to about 500 active customers, with the majority of the customers in Coffee County.

King said the Coffee County Water Authority was asking the Pike County Commission to allow the authority to take over the water system that extends into Pike County and, therefore, extend the New Hope Water System into Coffee County.

“The New Hope Water System will assume the water lines and tank in Pike County,” King said. “It will be a complete merger.”

King said the Coffee County Water Authority is seeking a grant to upgrade its water system with new electronic meters and improvements to increase water pressure.

The water system that was operated jointly by Pike and Coffee counties is in Pike County District 4.

Harry Sanders said a representative of the Pike County Commission will be asked to sit on the board of the New Hope Water System.

Historically, that person in the commissioner for that district. Ray Goodson is commissioner of District 4.

County Engineer Russell Oliver’s request that a budgeted temporary, part-time engineering assistant position be made permanent was approved by the commission.

Oliver said the position will continue to be part-time, but on a permanent basis.

The commission also approved Oliver’s request that the speed limit on County Road 7724 be set at 35 miles per hour.

The one-mile section of the county road has recently been paved as a joint city and county project because a portion of the road is in the Troy City limits.

Oliver said the speed limit on paved county roads is set at 45 miles per hour, however, that section of County Road 7724 is not designed for that speed and should remain at 35 miles per hour.