BELVILLE, N.C. -- The future of water treatment for several small towns in Brunswick County was put in the hands of the legal system on Friday.

A judge ruled H2Go can switch sides and join Leland as the plaintiff in a case against Belville.

Last year, Leland filed a lawsuit against the nearby town after H2Go transferred their assets over in a last ditch effort to save a proposed reverse osmosis plant. The decision was made by the water utility’s outgoing commissioners rather quickly. Some officials felt open meeting laws were violated in the process.

Commissioners like Bill Beer oppose the transfer and want the money back. But Mike McGill with the Town of Belville says nothing illegal took place between the town and H2Go.

“We assert that the transfer was a legal transfer properly handled under open meetings law and under North Carolina general statute,” said Mike McGill, Belville spokesperson.

“Right now H2Go assets are titled in Belville’s name, including several million dollars in cash or cash equivalent. That’s a problem and we are doing our best to expedite that litigation to get those assets back,” said Brian Edes, H2Go attorney.

A restraining order also remains in place meaning work on the R/O plant is on hold for now.