ROWLAND — The town's new water treatment facility is finished and other improvements to the town’s water system are nearly completed, Mayor Elizabeth Hunt told the town board during its Tuesday’s meeting.

The new facility will be used to keep water in the lagoon filtered with a new declorination unit, and will allow for more accurate testing of water quality.

A new facility was needed because the one before was too close to the lagoon, causing inaccuracies in the chlorine testing, Hunt said. The new facility — near the South Carolina border — is farther away from the lagoon where the town gets its water supply.

The money to complete this project came from a $400,000 grant from the North Carolina Rural Center in 2006. The grant was also used to refurbish the existing water tower and to replace some sewer lines.

Improvements were made to meet the state Department of Environmental Resources requirements, according to Hunt.

“We feel we are better suited to meet the town’s needs,” she said.

Hunt said that the new water treatment facility will be inspected this week by the Department of Environmental Resources to check the outflow and chemical levels to make sure it is working efficiently.

The commissioners approved spending the leftover grant money of about $50,000 to fix a water meter on one of the town’s wells and to purchase generators in case there is a town-wide power outage.

In other business:

— The commissioners are considering changes to an ordinance governing sweepstakes machines. The proposed changes include new zoning regulations and possibly requiring businesses with the machines to have a gaming license.

— The commissioners approved a list of suggested people to be on an advisory committee if the town receives a Community Development Block Grant it is seeking.

— Town Clerk Anne-Thompson Ellerby told the board that the Town Hall has a new Internet server.

— During a workshop on Sept. 24, the commissioners approved the use of golf carts on town streets. The golf cart must be insured, it must have a windshield, it cannot be operated on any major highways, and it must be driven by someone 16 years old or older. They can only be operated between sunrise and sunset.