David Caldwell Jr. has been waiting for his local government to fulfill its promise of access to public water and sewer lines for nearly three decades.
And though he said the struggle has been a long one, he will finally have access to the services he has fought for.
Caldwell is one of seven residents in the Rogers Road community who are being connected to public water or sewer lines.
Workers have begun to install a feeder line that will connect his home to the public sewage system, a project that will be completed in about a month.
In 1972, Chapel Hill Mayor Howard Lee met with Caldwell’s family and neighbors in his parents’ backyard to discuss the creation of the Orange County landfill on Eubanks Road.
In exchange, local governments promised the historically black, low-income neighborhood sidewalks, street lights, public transit and access to public water and sewer lines.
But until now, many of the promises have not been kept.
“It’s motivation just to see something done right, how it’s supposed to be,” said Caldwell, who is the Rogers-Eubanks Neighborhood Association project manager.
Caldwell’s mother will also receive sewer access, which he says has been especially significant to her since the agreement was signed in her backyard.