After months of wrangling and petition-passing over the need for city water service, about 100 people who own property on Harrison Road will take their concerns to county commissioners tonight.

That meeting is the last step before commissioners vote on the $1.5 million project that would extend city water mains west on Harrison Road from Buena Vista Drive to Miami Whitewater Forest.

County commissioners traditionally have voted in favor of extending water lines only if they are petitioned to do so by the owners of 51 percent of the road's frontage property or if the project is deemed to be in the greater public interest.

In this case, owners of 48 percent of the frontage land have asked for it, according to the county public works department. They represent 41 percent of the roughly 100 property owners involved.

And emotions are running high, split between developers and residents who want the city water service that will boost their property values and provide a uniform drinking supply, and those who say they cannot afford it and do not want the development it is likely to bring.

If it is approved, property owners will be assessed an estimated $34 per linear foot of frontage land. They will have the option of paying private plumbers thousands of dollars to tap on to the Cincinnati Water Works main and run pipe to their bathtubs and kitchen sinks.

"After we hear from the public, then we will close the public hearing in all probability. And then we will scratch our heads," Commissioner John Dowlin said. "It's easier to vote if it's a clear majority (in favor), or if hardly anyone wants it."

The vote could go either way.

"We don't have a policy - we have a practice that says, generally, (we approve) for 50 percent. . . . But I think we could say, yeah, we're voting for it. Or we're voting against it. There's nothing that says if 50 percent of the people want it, we have to go along with that, either."

Commissioners already approved the project once. - and then changed their minds in response to a public outcry last year.

A water main is being installed this spring from Ohio 128 in Miamitown to a point 535 feet west of Buena Vista Drive. It was initially intended to stretch to Miami Whitewater Forest - until so many residents voiced their disapproval that the county commission voted to scale it back.

That, in turn, angered residents who say they are willing to pay for a healthy drinking supply. The high-pressure water line also would help firefighters protect their homes.

And developers who own property along Harrison Road say they have waited long enough for public utilities.

"It's been delayed and delayed," said Jerry Wernke, who bought 102 acres on Harrison Road about three years ago. "The water is very critical. It's the key to development. And it's the key to health."

Officials doubt that the public hearing, or even the vote, will be the end of the debate.

"If we decide to proceed, then people have the right to go to court to ask us to stop," Mr. Dowlin said.