Tribune Chronicle / Renee Fox A crew with DRS Enterprises Inc. of Cleveland readies water pipes Tuesday to lay alongside Braceville Robinson Road in Braceville. The work is part of the $15 million Blueprint to Prosperity waterline project to bring waterlines to neighborhoods in Braceville, Southington, West Farmington and Farmington, with about two-thirds of property owners expressing interest in tying into the new lines.

BRACEVILLE — Residents interested in tying into a new waterline being constructed in Trumbull County said the new utility offering is likely to raise their property values, make their homes easier to sell and eliminate sulfur-tainted, well-water showers.

“I am excited for it,” said Ferrell Goff of Braceville Robinson Road. “We’ve lived here 49 years as of this past June. It would be nice to have better water for the 50th.”

Known as the Blueprint Waterline Initiative project, approximately $15 million is being spent to bring waterlines to neighborhoods in Braceville, Southington, West Farmington and Farmington.

About two-thirds of the property owners along the routes have expressed interest in tying into the new lines in addition to the “big four” customers — West Farmington, Southington Estates, Southington schools and the Ohio State Highway Patrol barracks, said Gary Newbrough, Trumbull County deputy sanitary engineer.

Goff said his first well had great water when he and his wife bought their home and 6 acres for $10,000 in 1969. But the couple had to dig a new well.

“The kids complained at first, but we all got used to it. There is a sulfur smell. We buy water to drink, but use it (well water) for everything else — shower, do laundry,” Goff said.

Though Goff intends to stay in his home until he “kicks the bucket,” he said he believes the waterline connection will make it easier for his children to sell the home when it comes time.

The new county waterline customers will have a service connection fee and curb box for $650, and then owe a capital charge, which will be tacked onto a monthly water bill, Newbrough said. The project is funded with an Ohio EPA loan that forgives 75 percent of the total cost, so the capital charge is expected to be relatively low, as long as people opt to connect, Newbrough said.

The cost to connect from a home to the new line will vary from household to household based on the distance from the road, the soil type, the water table and landscaping, Newbrough said. But there is financial aid available to households that qualify — a Community Development Block Grant will pay for income-eligible people to connect, he said.

Adam Carter of Braceville Robinson Road, said the fees would just be another bill for him and he is willing to deal with “rotten egg” smelling water, although he uses bottled water for drinking and cooking.

“It’s a weird smell, but you get used to it. It is smelly and it dries your skin out. But I don’t need another bill,” Carter said.

Terry Bastardi, also of Braceville Robinson Road, said his home has a good water system, but they are going to get the curb box installed in case that changes. Selling his home one day will be much easier with the option available to buyers to tap into a brand new water system.

“Hopefully sewer is next,” Bastardi said. “That is a real pain for people out here. But I guess it is a sacrifice you make to live out here. It is nice and peaceful, a low-crime area, but it isn’t connected to all of those systems just yet.”

Goff said he remembers when natural gas lines were run out to his road.

“We used to have to truck in fuel. It was expensive. It is nice to see these utilities coming to the neighborhood, after all of these years,” Goff said.

A DRS Enterprises Inc. crew is working along Braceville Robinson Road to install waterlines. The company is working on several portions of the project — they are being paid $3.4 million to install the lines in Braceville and part of Southington. They are getting $2.8 million to install lines in Farmington and part of Southington.