Harlan’s sewage system is causing problems for the city once again, according to statements at the Harlan City Council on Monday.

The council heard in November from a concerned resident about an odor problem coming from the Rio Vista pumping station. Mayor Danny Howard said the department of city works would monitor the problem and work to resolve the issue.

During the regularly scheduled meeting, city maintenance chief Bob Yost presented a report to the council showing steps the department has taken.

Yost explained how the department has increased the amount of chemicals from 30 gallons a day to now using 50.

“At times you are going to have a smell regardless. The gas is just going to build up in the lines,” said Yost.

Yost told the council how the gas hydrogen sulfide will build up in dry parts of the line.

The council also heard how that several sewer line expansions had finished and how others would soon begin.

City engineer Leo Miller told the council the line expansion at Grays Knob was completed on Monday and members of the community are already interested in connecting to the line. He the said the line expansion for Rosspoint is being held up still by the Environmental Protection Agency in Atlanta.

Howard said the project at Rosspoint, according to the EPA, was promised to be out of their and moving to completion but it was now December.

Miller told the council the Harlan County Fiscal Court had agreed and will pay for sewage line expansion in the Browning Acres area. Miller said the court will pay the contractor for work done in the area and the city could hope to gain another 25 to 30 sewage line users.

“It is awful nice of us. It is awful nice of the city to do that,” said council member C.D. Morton. “It is awful nice of the fiscal court to do that, and I think it is awful nice of the city to do that.”

Morton said the council had long talked about how it was beneficial to be part of the city.

During the September council meeting, a resident had asked for the city to consider expanding the sewage lines to include Browning Acres. According to estimates, the project will cost in the area of $105,000 to $140,000 to hook Browning Acres up to the sewage system.

It was suggested during the September meeting that Browning Acres should annexed into the city.