• A multimillion-dollar rural water system expansion moves forward for Columbus County.

By NICOLE CARTRETTE
Staff Writer

Commissioners voted unanimously, on Nov. 20, to approve a $493,219 engineering contract and construction bids totaling more than $4.1 million for the expansion of Water District V in the southern end of Columbus County.

The plans, adopted on Nov. 6, include the construction of 53 miles of water lines, an elevated 200,000-gallon storage tank near the corner of N.C. 904 and Miller Road and a pump station near the intersection of N.C. 904 and Herbert Norris Road.

Hobbs, Upchurch and Associates’ engineering contract, of which $227,000 was prepaid in 2003, is contingent upon receipt of a combination of grants and loans through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Program. McClam and Associates’ bid at just under $1.5 million and Goodyear Construction’s bid at roughly $2.7 million were the low bidders on two separate contracts related to the project.

While officials anticipate that hundreds of residents will hook on to the system, the county is banking on the state correctional facility under construction near Tabor City to keep the district out of the red. At a Nov. 6 meeting Adam Kiker of Hobbs, Upchurch and Associates told commissioners the annual debt service for the loan portion of the project funding would cost $233,680 annually. At a rate of $6 per 1,000 gallons for the new prison, the contracted engineering firm believes the prison revenue will cover much of the cost.

An exact projection of revenues from the prison or anticipated water use was not discussed at the meeting. According to City of Whiteville officials, Columbus Correctional in Brunswick that houses close to 700 inmates uses approximately 2.8 million gallons of water a month.

Residential rates in Water District V will be the same as rates in Water District I. Customers will pay a $21 flat rate for the first 2,000 gallons and $4 for each additional 1,000 gallons.

It is uncertain how many residents in District V will actually sign on to the water service, but commissioners and engineers are optimistic. District V originally had 250 tap-on fees and deposits accepted and Kiker said the district plans capture as many of those houses as possible. He did not indicate how many of those houses ended up in the plans. Kiker also pointed out that the waterline constructed to Guideway School (because of high fluoride levels in the well there) had a successful sign-up rate.

Financial problems with two other water districts that were expected to also be self-supporting have resulted in the levy of special property taxes of 13 cents per $100 value in Water District III and 9 cent per $100 value in Water District II. Taxpayers in the district have been highly critical of the tax that applies regardless of whether they have access to the water or not.

Commissioners insist they are taking a different approach to Water District V. Original plans for the expansion were drawn years ago with two installments totaling $227,000 prepaid to the engineering firm in 2003. Kiker assured Commissioner James Prevatte that under the terms of the contract, that sum is to be credited toward the total lump sum.

Commissioner Bill Memory made it clear the money would be “refunded” to the county’s general fund. It is unclear if the amount to be borrowed will include the $227,000. Messages left with the county manager’s office and Commissioner Lynwood Norris were unreturned.

The District V project plans adopted include eight-inch water lines for the following roads: Walter Todd from Peacock to M.M. Ray, M.M. Ray from the Walter Todd intersection to NC 905, NC 905 from the M.M. Ray intersection to the S.C. state line, and NC 904 from Guideway School to the NC 905 intersection.

Six-inch water lines are included in the project for the following roads: Todd Town from Walter Todd to Lebanon Church, Lebanon Church from Todd Town to Ed Ward, Ed Ward from Lebanon Church to Walter Todd, Pine Level Church from M.M. Ray to Ramsey Ford, Walter Ward from Pine Level Church to NC 905.

Six-inch water lines are also planned for the following roads: Avery Ward and Big Cypress be-tween the Pine Level Church intersection and NC 905, Dothan from NC 904 to the end of the pave-ment (past Ramsey Ford), Wright from Dothan to the Deer Lane intersection, Howard Cox from N.C. 904 to the Miller intersection, Miller from Howard Cox to Ramsey Ford, Ramsey Ford from the Miller intersection to Dothan, Guide from N.C. 904 to Ramsey Ford, Ramsey Ford from Guide intersection to N.C. 904, and Lebanon Church from N.C. 904 to the beginning of the swamp.

Four-inch waterlines will run from the intersections of N.C. 905 and Big Avenue and River Roads to their dead ends.