Brunswick County commissioners have approved the purchase of about 380 acres to be used as a future raw water reservoir near its Northwest Water Treatment Plant.
Following a closed session Wednesday morning, commissioners unanimously agreed to the more than $8.7 million price tag, which includes $241,778 for the timber on the property so that it will remain wooded.
Supporter Spotlight
The land in the Leland area is the former site of a quarry, which, coupled with its location to the water plant, “makes it an ideal location for a water reservoir,” according to the county.
“This is a forward-thinking, long-term investment to bolster and secure our county’s access to our most important resource on earth,” Commissioner Chairman Mike Forte said in a release. “Having a water reservoir means that in the event of an unforeseen emergency, drought, or temporary water shortage, we will have back-up water supply for all our residents and businesses.”
The tract includes about a 50- to 60-acre lake of the old quarry site and is largely forested.
The county plans to keep the wooded area intact as it transitions to a reservoir site.
“Because of the growth and development in this particular area of the county, this property may have one day been developed into a major planned unit development,” County Manager Steve Stone said in the release. “Instead, this location will be used to support important public health and quality of life needs while preserving its natural identity.”
Supporter Spotlight
Infrastructure including pumps and pipes will need to be installed before the reservoir is placed into service.
The future raw water reservoir will allow the county to continue supplying water to the Northwest Treatment Plant if the Kings Bluff raw water transmission system or pump station goes out of service, maintain the county’s water supply in the event of a contaminant spill in the Cape Fear River, supplement the county’s water supply in drought conditions, and stabilize the raw water supply from the Kings Bluff transmission system, which will help increase the Lower Cape Fear Water and Sewer system capacity from peak to average daily capacity of 96 million gallons per day.
This project is the latest in the county’s ongoing efforts to improve and expand water service.
Work continues to double capacity at the Northwest Water Treatment Plant from 24 million gallons per day to 48 MGD. And, a new low-pressure reverse osmosis system is being installed to treat and remove regulated and unregulated materials such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, from raw drinking water supplies.
That project is expected to be completed by September.
