PITTSBORO — The Pittsboro Board of Commissioners has appropriated an additional $48,500 to expand a contract with The Wooten Company, which is assisting the town in securing a permit for the construction of a sewer line to Sanford.
The process, which began in 2016 to address the town’s need for more capacity and reduction of nutrient flow into the impaired waters of Robeson Creek, has battled delays ever since, resulting in Pittsboro’s wastewater treatment plant nearing capacity — sparking concerns from the board that a moratorium on new users may need to be implemented.
The Wooten Company, a nationwide engineering firm with an office in Raleigh, was first engaged for the Sanford Forcemain Project in October 2016 to revise documents required for a revolving loan fund by the N.C. Dept. of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Infrastructure. Over the past few years, the company has been awarded nearly $1.7 million in contracts to manage the project, pay permitting fees and conduct easement negotiations. These funds, according to Heather Meacham, the town’s finance director, would be replaced by the revolving loan fund once the town receives those funds.
The most recent appropriation, made in a vote of Pittsboro commissioners last week, is in response to comments from the Division of Water Infrastructure, requiring a fourth revision of the town’s Engineering Report/Environmental Information Document (ER/EID) report, according to Paul Messick, the town’s attorney who was serving as town manager in a interim capacity. This report must now include a “secondary and cumulative impacts document” for potential development that may occur, including all of Pittsboro and Chatham Park, if the town is allowed to install a sewer line and pump its wastewater to the City of Sanford’s Big Buffalo Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, according to The Wooten Company’s contract amendment.
The requirement for a “secondary and cumulative impacts” document was not required nor mentioned in any Division of Water Infrastructure comments from the original, revision one or revision two of the Environmental Information Document, according to the contract amendment. In addition, the contract amendment notes that the third revision had been initially approved, which would typically be sufficient to move forward in the process. The additional requirement was made because of concerns raised by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
In the town board discussion on the additional appropriation, several commissioners voiced concerns about the delay. Commissioner Michael Fiocco stated his frustration with the Division of Water Infrastructure and “their continued delays in getting this project under way.” Fiocco commented that the town, Chatham Park and the Division of Water Resources, another department at N.C. Dept. of Environmental Quality, all came to a settlement about riparian buffers and stormwater control measure tracking.
“At the time, I questioned as to why DWI wasn’t signing,” Fiocco said. “And the answer was DWI would be in lockstep with DWR. This facility will take effluent out of this watershed and we’re being delayed.”
Fiocco noted that the town’s wastewater treatment plant’s lack of capacity will affect the town’s “ability to make economic development happen.” Fiocco also lamented that “Fish and Wildlife” has “refused to meet with the town” and “refused to return phone calls” making the project “virtually impossible to complete.”
Commissioner John Bonitz said he wanted to “echo Commissioner Fiocco’s concerns,” adding he’s “not happy” about the additional money the town is spending. Bonitz did state that he thought the town would not be in this situation “if our stormwater policies within the planned development district with Chatham Park were more straightforward.”
Fiocco noted that the Division of Water Resources was “more attune to dealing with stormwater and thought it to be a very acceptable plan,” adding that the Division of Water Infrastructure has “nothing to do with stormwater.”
According to the N.C. Dept. of Environmental Quality’s website, the Division of Water Resources is responsible for ensuring “safe drinking water in accordance with federal requirements, issues pollution control permits, monitors permit compliance, evaluates environmental water quantity and quality, and carries out enforcement actions for violations of environmental regulations.” While the Division of Water Infrastructure “provides financial assistance for projects that improve water quality.”
The News + Record has, for the last three months, been requesting documents and comments from the N.C. Dept. of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Infrastructure regarding the town of Pittsboro’s Sanford forcemain project. Officials have promised the documents, but as yet haven’t delivered them.
A timeline for the next revision and the Sanford Forcemain Project will likely be on the agenda for the town’s next regular board of commissioners meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday at Pittsboro Town Hall.
Reporter Casey Mann can be reached at CaseyMann@Chathamnr.com.