By JEFFERSON WEAVER
Staff Writer

Whiteville’s wastewater treatment plant got a financial shot in the arm this week with the announcement that the N.C. Clean Water Management Trust Fund will provide an additional $1.125 million in funding for the plant.
That brings the total amount of CWMTF money in the project to $2.625 million.

The CWMTF provides $100 million annually in state funds to local governments for water and sewer infrastructure. Rep. Dewey Hill said Wednesday that he and Sen. R.C. Soles worked with CWMTF board member Robert Howard to obtain the money.

Soles said the effort was a good example of cooperation between state and local governments. Soles said one of the biggest obstacles to finding funds for local projects like the plant is letting state officials know about the need.

“Needs have to be brought to our attention,” Soles said, “and the city council, mayor and administration did just that.

“During the application process everything is on a level playing field,” he said. “Sometimes things like this need a little nudge. There are so many needs and applications.”

“Mr. Howard and our elected representatives did us a great job on this,” said Whiteville City Manager Joshua Ray.

The ongoing project, which got underway this spring, is expected to cost $11 million. Of that funding, the city secured an additional $2 million loan late last fall to offset price increases that have occurred since the project was first visualized a decade ago. The city borrowed $4.5 million to be repaid over 13 years, obtained $400,000 from the Rural Center, and applied for funds from other sources as well.

The plant has been set for rehabilitation for years, but construction only recently began. The facility is more than 30 years old. The rehabilitation of the facility won’t increase the size of the city’s plant, but will allow more complete use of the plant’s rated capacity of three million gallons.

Funding the plant rebuild has been a race between increasing costs and fewer funding sources. Even before construction began this spring, the plant’s anticipated costs rose to $11 million. The original proposal for the plant called for $6.3 million in loans and grants.

The city has raised water and sewer rates, pursued grants, and obtained $4.5 million in loans to help fund the project. The city previously obtained one CWMTF grant of $1.5 million for the project.

With $7 million in hand, and the fact that the project had nearly doubled in cost since its inception, Ray said he approached Hill, Soles and Howard about obtaining more CWMTF monies.
Competition for the funding is tough, but Hill said Howard’s expertise with the board helped him and Soles make a successful presentation before the board. Howard is from Columbus County.

“We’ve met with the town administration and engineers on several occasions about this project,” Hill said. “The Trust Fund has been good to Columbus County through the years.”

Without programs like the CWMTF, Hill said, local governments would have to turn to tax increases to pay for major projects like water and sewer improvements.

“You just can’t afford to do that,” he said.
The rehabilitation project will put Whiteville on a better footing to act as a regional wastewater plant, Ray said. New construction methods allow for additional units to be added on without taking the plant offline, speeding up the process if and when the town tops out its three million gallon capacity.

“We’ll be in a much better position to help our neighbors in Bolton, Lake Waccamaw, Brunswick, and even Chadbourn, if it comes to that,” Ray said.

The expansion of the plant will help Whiteville and Columbus County deal with anticipated growth, Hill said.

“We know it’s coming,” he said, “and we want Whiteville to be ready to welcome our new neighbors.”

Soles, Ray and Hill praised Howard for his commitment to Columbus County and Whiteville.
“He’s a big friend to this community,” Ray said.