Johnston County officials have approved spending $43 million, the first part of a projected $333 million expansion project to meet growing water and sewer needs.
On Oct. 3rd the board approved spending $39,993,000 to expand their Wastewater Treatment Facility by an additional 4 million gallons per day (MGD). The existing plant is rated at 9.5 MGD per day and is running out of capacity.
An additional $3,060,000 was approved to expand the Water Treatment Plant by an additional 2 million gallons per day. Officials said unless the plant is expanded it could exceed peak demand for water as early as 2019.
Altogether the two projects total $43,053,000. It is the first piece of nearly a third of a billion dollars of needed upgrades by the year 2037. It is part of the updated 20 Year Capital Improvement Plan presented to County Commissioners in September by Chandra Cox Farmer, Director of the Johnston County Department of Public Utilities.
The report says $144.6 million in improvements will be needed in the next four years (by 2021), $64.6 million between 2022 and 2026, $78.5 million between 2027 and 2031, and $45.5 million between 2032 and 2037.
Farmer said the County wil need to pursue outside funding as well as adjust charges to residential and business customers periodically to fund the projects without overburdening the customer base.
Johnston County Manager Rick Hester said 20 years ago commissioners agreed that water, wastewater and solid waste would be self-supporting and not subsidized by general tax dollars. Hester said the 20 Year Plan is a roadmap for commissioners to see what major projects lie ahead and what improvements will be needed and how to pay for the infrastructure. Hester said the 20 Year Plan is required by most government agencies before approving loans and grants.
The expansions are being brought on by the tremendous growth in Johnston County and the demand by residential and commercial customers for water and sewer services.
