Sewer lines could bring windfall for Orange Beach - al.com

Sewer lines could bring windfall for Orange Beach - al.com: "As Orange Beach officials grapple with declining revenue and rising expenses, they are looking to a pair of unglamorous assets to help make up the difference: A nearly finished wastewater facility capable of treating 10 million gallons of sewage a day and miles of sewer pipes in an area north of the city that is expected to one day explode with development.

The pipes north of Wolf Bay are the resort city's rhizomes and give Orange Beach a toehold in an area with miles of unspoiled waterfront and vast swaths of undeveloped land. They have also attracted a trio of private utilities that are angling for a chance to branch off from the city's pipes and be positioned for the next building boom.

The City Council is pondering a proposal from Birmingham's Integra Water to lease the pipes and 833 customers beyond Orange Beach's boundaries and a portion of the new plant's treatment capacity. Integra president John McDonald estimates it could pay the city $50 million over 30 years and save the city the expense of maintaining the far-flung pipes."