OKTIBBEHA COUNTY, Miss - The Hickory Grove exit on Highway 82 between Columbus and Starkville is called one of the region's best kept secrets.

Oktibbeha County supervisors hope to change that. Monday, they created the East Oktibbeha Wastewater District. Work will begin next summer on a 3.5 million dollar project to bring sewer service to the area from Clayton Village to Hickory Grove.

It won't cost local taxpayers anything, but could mean big things in years to come.

Oktibbeha County District 2 Supervisor Orlando Trainer says, "What will happen once the sewer system gets into this area, it will give property owners more options as to developing their property. The cost will be paid in three ways. One is a user fee.  Whoever uses it those fees will be put back into the system. Also we are looking at grants and we're looking at loans."

The project will be done in phases as money and customers become available. The new line will connect to the Mississippi State University system and then be treated by the city of Starkville.

Property owners can hook up to the new system or stick with what they have now. Rates will only apply to those who use the service. Instead of waiting for growth, officials hope the problem becomes managing it in the years to come.

Business owner Williams Wells says, "It will be very beneficial to me especially with 17 employees.  We have to have two septic tanks, we have a little motor running all the time. With all this rain it backs up and that causes a little problem with sewage."

The first phase will consist of a sewer line along Hwy 182 from Hickory Grove to an existing line in front of the Cadence Bank operations center.

Construction for the sewer lines of phase one is expected to start in May or June of 2010.