With the Carroll County Public Service Authority (PSA) growing at an astronomical rate, demands on the PSA’s staff are also increasing.

While PSA Executive Director Gary Larrowe did not ask the Authority for additional staffing at its Oct. 13 meeting, he certainly made a compelling case. Larrowe said he’s heard from state and federal officials that the Carroll County PSA is growing faster than any other PSA in the Commonwealth. With the Carroll County PSA adding many new water and sewer projects within the past two years, he said the Authority’s customer base will soon be adding on nearly 33 percent more in new customer base.

“I would contend that if there is a corporation out here in the world that is adding on 33 percent new customers, then some things have to change as far as the planning for that operation,” Larrowe said. “We will be going from 3,000 to 4,000 customers.”

Additionally, Larrowe said the PSA’s budget in the past has been approximately $3 million. Outside of the Airport Road project, he said the Authority has had very little capital investment in recent years. The PSA’s budget is about to multiply by more than 10 times, however, with all the new projects underway.

“We are tearing up the ground in Carroll County. Infrastructure is going in the ground. We all realize that, but there is also a cost to everything that we do. There is a cost to standing to still,” Larrowe said. “There are more things happening now than there has ever been in the history of the PSA. We have gone from a $3 million budget to a $31.5 million budget, or tenfold, in making that happen.”

And while the PSA’s budget and workload has increased dramatically, Larrowe said its staff hasn’t. He said the PSA currently has 14 full-time employees and two more part-time employees, which equals 15 full-time staffers.

“This customer base is coming on within the next 18 months,” Larrowe said. “The last true hire the PSA had was in 2006. That is several years ago, and the demand continues to increase.”

Before making a presentation to the Carroll PSA, Bob Gay with the Virginia Rural Water Association backed up Larrowe’s claims of how fast the local Authority is growing.

“Mr. Larrowe took some of my fire out of this being one of the most progressive counties in water utilities in the state of Virginia. The USDA has made available an additional $6.3 billion for water, wastewater infrastructure, but a lot of boards, counselors and utility managers are still not willing to make that move,” Gay said. “You all are by far the most progressive and I know Mr. Larrowe said that, but I wanted to say it too.

You guys certainly have taken the lead. I don’t know of any other locality that is moving forward at such a progressive pace. It is great you are willing to serve your citizens and listen to them in the manner that you do.”

Gay also told the Carroll PSA that project costs aren’t going to get any cheaper. Right now is a good time to take advantage of the economy, however, which he praised the county for doing.

“It is very wise now that you all are moving forward. The price of pipe is down at the moment. Money is a little easier to get. It is great you are doing what you can do at the time you are doing it,” Gay said. “I think a lot of forethought and planning has gone into that. One thing I talk about is vision. Where do you want Carroll County to be in another three, five to 10 years? Once you decide that, you go with the planning and then you provide the funds.”