County Wastewater Project Doubles In Cost

A wastewater improvement project along Highway 42 and Cornwallis Road in western Johnston County will cost nearly double the initial estimates.

The Johnston County Department of Public Utilities plans to install 9,100 feet of 12 inch and 16 inch gravity fed sewer lines along Swift Creek from Highway 42 to Cornwallis Road and also construct a new 1,225 gallon per minute wastewater pump station at Cornwallis Road.

Initial estimates for the project was $1,708,500.  However, after the work was put out to bid the revised costs were pushed up to $3,251,767, an increase of about 90 percent.

Chandra C. Farmer, Director of Utilities, told Johnston County Commissioners on Monday, the project budget increased significantly from the preliminary estimates due to the current bidding and construction climate, the challenging routing and construction due to wetlands and soil conditions.

Commissioners approved the higher price tag, which will be funded through a 1.4 percent low interest loan over the next 20 years through the NC Department of Environmental Quality – Division of Water Infrastructure.

Once completed, the county will be able to decommission an aging and undersized Swift Creek wastewater pump station and eliminate the need to upsize the Austin Pond wastewater pump station in the immediate future.