The first funeral home ever located within the town limits of Ridgeway may be one step closer to opening its doors, if Ridgeway Town Council approves the funeral home director’s request to tap into the town’s sewer system.

Funeral home director Eddie Nelson explained to council that it is common for funeral homes to be connected to towns’ sewer systems.

There are four funeral homes in Winnsboro that are connected to the public sewer system, Nelson explained. He plans to open Nelson’s Funeral Home next to the Dollar General.

“This is a historic moment for this community,” said the Ridgeway native. “This will be the first funeral home in Ridgeway.”

But before Nelson can begin to celebrate, he has to provide council with a complete list of chemicals that will be used by the funeral home. Once the list is submitted, Mayor Charlene Herring said, the town’s engineers will review it to determine if the items will be harmful to the system.

According to a letter from the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) to Nelson, “an approved liquid or semi-liquid waste other than microbiological cultures and stocks may be discharged directly into a Department approved wastewater treatment disposal system.”

Interested in the embalming process, council member Robert Hartman asked Nelson to explain what liquids he will be disposing of.

“I have no objection to what you’re doing,” Hartman said. “I’m just curious about what exactly will be going into the sewage system.”

According to Nelson, blood and other body fluids will be placed in the public sewer system.

“It won’t cause a problem [to the system],” Nelson said.

Herring said Nelson could receive a response as early as Monday from the council.

In other business Thursday night:

• The council approved the second/final reading of an ordinance providing for the transfer of authority for conducting municipal elections to the Fairfield County Voter Registration and Election Committee.

• Ridgeway resident Andrew Kusko asked council to reimburse him the more than $700 he has spent over the past 10 years maintaining a sewer line that belongs to the Town of Ridgeway.

• Mayor Herring told council that a tree on Means Street has fallen. This is the fourth tree to fall this year in the town, she reported.

• Herring also announced that renovations are continuing on the second floor of the Century House (Town Hall).

• Council agreed to hire Carolina Wrecking Company based in Columbia to demolish the old school auditorium.

• The Town of Ridgeway’s general election will be April 6. A meet the candidates event will be March 18 from 5:30-7 p.m. at Rebecca’s of Ridgeway.

Ridgeway Town Council meets at 6:30 p.m., the second Thursday of every month at the Century House, 170 S. Dogwood Ave., Ridgeway.