NEW HANOVER COUNTY — The area’s water and utilities company has laid out its 2023 budget to tackle capital improvements that are part of an overall $512 million 10-year plan slated to wrap by 2032. Cape Fear Public Utility Authority will dedicate 77% of the $36 million allocated this year toward replacing aging infrastructure.

The utilities company identified 135 out of 1,146 miles in its system includes water mains aged over 70 years. It also has determined other infrastructure — 110 out of 923 miles of gravity sewer, 14 of 154 miles of force mains and 11 of 152 miles of pump stations — in need of rehabilitation or replacement.

READ MORE: CFPUA almost ready to deliver PFAS-free water through $43M system

This comes at a time when the county is seeing accelerated growth at 1.33% annually, according to the utilities company.

The top five areas CFPUA will work on for 2023 include:

The CIP covers 40 projects, with 77% of costs going toward rehabilitations and replacements, 17% for expansion to increase water and wastewater capacity, and almost 6% for enhancements to improve efficiency, thereby reducing long-term costs.

One of the top-funded projects includes a section of aging twin 24-inch, raw water transmission mains to be replaced for $4.2 million. Vulnerable to flooding, the main transports 10 million gallons of raw water to the Cape Fear River and then to the Sweeney Water Treatment Plant per day.

Funded by a low-interest loan from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, $5.15 million will go toward the Walnut Street Pump Station in downtown Wilmington. The project includes eliminating and replacing a pipe located in the median of Market Street near the federal courthouse that CFPUA said would result in a more aesthetically pleasing design for tourists and locals in the downtown area but also will reduce electricity costs.

One million dollars each will be put toward the Gordon Road interconnection with North Carolina Department of Transportation and River Road boost pump station and interconnections — two areas of the county experiencing increased housing developments.

According to CFPUA, the Greenfield Lake area will receive $1.3 million to renovate or change one of the highest risk force mains, made of concrete and often difficult to work on per emergency repairs.

The utilities company has a new $6.9 million regional wastewater pump station and force main planned for construction in the southern part of the county. This year $1.8 million is being put toward averting wastewater from Motts Creek Gravity Sewer Outfall to provide capacity for future growth in this basin.

2023 also allocates $1.2 million to replace mechanical components of the headworks at the Southside Wastewater Treatment Plant. The southern part of the county is a high-priority for CFPUA over the next decade, specifically as it will help alleviate flow from the booming northern areas closer to Pender County.

Despite meeting regulations on discharge, CFPUA notes in its 10-year CIP the Southside Wastewater Treatment Plant is “approaching the end of life,” with declining infrastructure and treatment technology.

The plant will undergo a major capacity upgrade in 2025, a $150 million build required to be in service by 2030 to meet rising population and business demands, and avoid discharge limits and reduce sunk costs. The 10-year CIP has projected $3 million to go to the plant next year and $147 million in 2025. The end result will help fulfill needs of incoming development across New Hanover, while also diverting 2 million gallons of wastewater from the northern areas to be treated at the southside plant.

The 2023 CIP budget, which began July 1, is $8.7 million more than last year, due to rising labor costs and material prices. CFPUA stated in a release that PVC has experienced a 165% increase due to shortage of raw materials.

“The construction industry has seen a lot of upheaval over the past two years from the Covid-19 pandemic, changes in the labor force, and supply chain issues,” CFPUA Deputy Executive Director for Treatment and Engineering Carel Vandermeyden said.

CFPUA is taking advantage of grant opportunities, as to not overburden customers with more rate increases, it indicated in the release. Customers have seen expenses rise by 8% this year due to the installation of the PFAS filtration system at the Sweeney Water Treatment Facility, a $43 million project from 2020’s budget (another 8% hike is planned next year).

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So far $30 million has been earmarked for CFPUA in the American Rescue Plan Act as part of the state’s 2021-23 budget years. Some ARPA funds will help improve water and sewer services in underserved areas. Locally that includes $15 million going toward Oakley Road and the Alandale region, to be completed when the grant funding is awarded.

CFPUA also started a new sustainability program for $1 million to help fulfill “discrete projects” or boost funds for others as needed.

To determine the weight of the area’s needs, CFPUA follows a risk matrix and considers compliance, efficiency, capacity/growth, and sustainability for every project. It also looks at cost urgency and the benefit each will have on the overall community when completed. While construction may start on many plans this fiscal year, some won’t be completed until subsequent years.

The full 10-year CIP report, including 2023’s breakdown, can be found here.

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