By Staff
Town’s growth rate is the driving force behind sewer study
By CLAUD HODGES
Senior Reporter
CHOCOWINITY — The Board of Commissioners is working to be ahead of the game when it comes to being prepared for expected growth and development in the town.
To that end, town officials are taking a close look at its sewer system.
After its initial review of a sewer study on Tuesday night, the board decided it needed more time to peruse the study. Commissioner William J. Albritton did not attend the meeting.
Commissioners scheduled another review of the study for 7 p.m. Monday at the Chocowinity Municipal Building.
Mobley said Chocowinity wants to ensure its infrastructure will be able handle the expected growth. He also said the town wants the services it provides to be readily available to prospective homeowners and business owners.
Rivers and Associates, an engineering firm based in Greenville, performed the sewer study.
Mark Garner, representing Rivers and Associates, said the study estimates the town will need to spend $4 million during the next several years to meet the town’s short-term sewer-system needs. During the next 20 years, he said, the sewer study estimates an additional $7.5 million will be needed to meet those needs.
Garner told the commissioners that by 2030, with the current rate of growth Chocowinity is experiencing, the town will need to pump one million gallons of sewage per day to a wastewater-treatment facility. Currently, the town pumps an average of 180,000 gallons. The town’s wastewater is treated by Washington’s wastewater-treatment plant.
Chocowinity sends a maximum of 304,000 gallons of sewage per day to Washington’s treatment plant. Garner recommended the town and city meet soon to discuss what the two municipalities need to do to accommodate Chocowinity’s future waste-water treatment needs.
Garner agreed.
Garner said the sewer study shows the current status of Chocowinity’s sewer system is good.
He told commissioners they may consider making minor improvements to the system’s existing pump stations for the time being or building a new regional pumping station somewhere near the intersection of Old Blounts Creek Road and N.C. Highway 33 east of Chocowinity.
The regional pumping station would provide better service in and around the Cypress Landing and Cypress Corner residential developments and the Chocowinity Industrial Park site, which is south of the proposed location for the regional pumping station, town officials said.
Making minor improvements to the system at this time would cost approximately $400,000, Garner said.