Love Valley

Sitting in the garage of Tumbleweed's New and Used Tires in Love Valley, Anthony Kennedy wipes sweat from his brow and lets out a tense sigh.Being mayor of a town pushed to the brink of dissolution because of a failing sewer system takes its toll. The collective stress is weighing on the entire town of 104 (at last Census), as the fears of businesses shuttering are realized."Nobody wants to see Love Valley die," the mayor said. "We've worked so hard to bring Andy Barker's 19th Century dream in into the 21st Century ... but there's always been an understanding that this could happen."For years, the town's sewer system, which has 12 connections to businesses and residential properties, most of which are on Main Street, has seeped into a nearby pond that flows into the South Yadkin River. That body of water serves as a source for drinking water for many municipalities, including Statesville."All of the rivers and streams around here take in waste, not just from runoff but also from people's activities," said Statesville Director of Water Resource Department Joe Hudson. "The water treatment plant is designed to deal with waste in the water. We remove it, and we remove it well. ... Bottom line, by the time we take water from the muddy South Yadkin, we treat it so it's crystal clear without any bacteria or anything in it when it comes out of your faucet.In 2015, the state started pressuring Love Valley to stop the leak and replace the sewer system. Two years later, that pressure has resulted in the shutdown of one of the nine businesses on Main Street, which is designed to resemble an Old West town with saloon-style buildings, posts to tie horses and a dirt road."All of this concerns me," said Tori Barker, business owner, councilwoman and granddaughter of the town's founder. "The Spur is a staple business in our town. This is difficult ... We are very worried. ... I feel a responsibility to make sure that the town stays alive and thrives for generations to come."