Opinion ID: 2495667
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 11

Heading: Potential health hazards from sewage and waste disposal in the annexed areas

Text: ¶ 29. Horn Lake alleges that the chancellor's finding that the indicium of potential health hazards in the annexation area weighs against annexation by Horn Lake is manifestly wrong and ignores substantial, undisputed, credible evidence. That allegation is contrary to the chancellor's written order and the record in this case. ¶ 30. This Court has established the following factors which may be considered when evaluating reasonableness as related to potential health hazards: (1) potential health hazards from sewage and waste disposal; (2) a large number of septic tanks in the area; (3) soil conditions which are not conducive to on-site septic systems; (4) open dumping of garbage; and (5) standing water and sewage. In re Enlargement and Extension of Boundaries of Macon, 854 So.2d 1029, 1038 (Miss.2003). ¶ 31. The chancellor found some evidence of open dumping of garbage, standing water and sewage, and health hazards from sewage and waste disposal; however, he also found that the municipalities of Horn Lake and Walls had more problems with those issues than the proposed annexation area. The chancellor gleaned from the evidence that the soil conditions throughout the proposed annexation area were not conducive to on-site septic systems, and that most of the area was connected to central sewer systems available through the City of Horn Lake or the Walls Sewer District. ¶ 32. Additionally, the trial court found several homes in the proposed annexation area had on-site septic systems, and that those on-site septic systems were of little consequence to Horn Lake, as its proposal in the facilities and services plan for the proposed area of annexation indicated that only seventy-two homes were in need of sewer connections. Based on those findings, the chancellor opined that potential health hazards within the proposed annexation area were minimal. However, the chancellor found that Horn Lake had no ordinances which would require residents to connect to a central sewer system if it were available, deeming the indicium of potential health hazards to weigh against annexation by Horn Lake. ¶ 33. Because Horn Lake had no plan to require residents to connect to a central sewer system if available, there would be no ordinance to correct the use of septic tanks in areas where the soil conditions are not conducive to on-site septic systems and no ordinance to correct potential health hazards from those septic systems in the annexed areas. Moreover, evidence at trial demonstrated that the Rolling Green subdivision, part of Horn Lake's 1987 annexation, still had problems with raw sewage, and that Horn Lake had taken nearly twenty-two years to provide that annexed area with sanitary sewers. Accordingly, the chancellor's findings were supported by substantial, credible evidence, were well within his discretion, and were not manifestly wrong.