Emerging Sewer Issues in NHC
This morning, at the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority’s monthly meeting, the Authority Board heard an update from CFPUA staff regarding several emerging sewer capacity issues in the County. In January, the state of North Carolina revised its forms and evaluation methods for issuing additional capacity for wastewater systems. Specifically, the state established a revised process of identifying “firm capacity” of lift stations, pump stations and wastewater treatment plants. The Authority has used this new process to analyze our situation locally and has found 3 areas that are over capacity based on the state’s method of calculating firm capacity.
These areas include 3 pump stations: Country Haven (in the Porters Neck area), Barnards Creek and Motts Creek. Based on the revised calculating method by the state, the stations are over their capacity 222,403; 491,763 and 250,016 gallons per day respectively. Unfortunately, these “capacity overage” numbers are deceptive since the state’s new method of calculation effectively only recognizes about 40% of the real capacity allowed by the lift station. CFPUA staff has worked diligently to verify the accuracy of these calculations, met with some of the developers being impacted and has begun discussions with the state regarding capacity constraints. The Authority Board unanimously passed a motion to instruct staff to come back at the September CFPUA Board meeting with short-term and long-term options and costs for addressing this issue. In the meantime, the CFPUA is not processing sewer extension permits in the areas listed above: Country Haven, Barnards Creek and Motts Creek. The Authority is NOT holding up individual building permits and zero flow permits will be processed. The CFPUA Board and Authority staff recognize and understand the impact this issue will have on the development community.
BASE will continue to be actively engaged on this and other CFPUA issues as the situation progresses and will keep you, our members, advised. To see the full capacity analysis for the pump stations in question, go to BASE.
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