MOBILE, Ala. (WPMI) A judge ruled Friday the Mobile Area Water and Sewer System will immediately take over the day-to-day operations of the Prichard Water and Sewer Board.
According to the ruling, Prichard will retain its corporate existence until the appeal is filed. That is expected to happen no later than Feb. 27.
There will be no meetings of the Prichard Water and Sewer Board and no board members will be compensated, pending the appeal.
MAWSS is prohibited from making any permanent or irreversible interconnections between the two systems pending the outcome of the appeal.
Judge Michael Youngpeter upheld the statewide constitutional amendment passed by voters in November to dissolved the Prichard Water Board. The Prichard Water Board plans to appeal the decision.
Prichard residents celebrated Judge Youngpeters ruling Friday, and with the help of local and state officials financial relief is on the way.
"It's been a long fight, but its been a good fight," said United Concerned Citizens of Prichard President Severia Campbell Morris.
She added, "The children now can bath daily. The mothers and parents, they're able to wash daily now."
The full decision from Judge Youngpeter is attached to this story.