Drilling of Water, Sewer Lines under Cape Fear River to Flemington, U.S. 421 Corridor Begins Tuesday
One 12” water main, two 8” sewer lines to be installed;
CFPUA, Duke Energy water project will ensure long-term water supply;
CFPUA, New Hanover County, and City of Wilmington sewer project to support future economic development
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Mike McGill
(910) 332-6704
After Hours: (910) 622-8472
Mike.McGill@cfpua.org
communications@cfpua.org
WILMINGTON, NC, July 27, 2015: Tomorrow, Tuesday, July 28, drilling will begin to bring water and sewer lines under the Cape Fear River to the Flemington community and the U.S. 421 corridor. The project will first connect Flemington-area residents to CFPUA’s central drinking water system then provide the ability for the entire U.S. 421 corridor to connect to CFPUA’s central sewer systems. Over the next eight months, CFPUA’s contractor, Hall Construction Corporation, will drill through dense sands under the river and install approximately 1,250 linear feet of 12” water main, as well as approximately 1,500 linear feet of two 8” sewer mains. Drill depths will vary but are – at their deepest point – 72’ to 80’ below the High Water Level of the river. After the drilling is completed, the water and sewer mains will be pulled back through their respective bore holes and set in place.
MEDIA: The actual drilling is difficult to view. Animation detailing the drilling and installation of the lines is being provided to outlets and is also available by calling Mike McGill at (910) 332-6704. The file sizes are too large to send via email.
The water portion of the construction project is based upon an agreement reached between CFPUA and Duke Energy in October of 2013, while the sewer portion is based upon an agreement among CFPUA, New Hanover County and the City of Wilmington. For the water project, Duke Energy is contributing a total of $3.175 million, with CFPUA allocating an additional $460,000.
The agreement to construct the water main was made with Duke Energy after its monitoring program showed groundwater within its ash impoundment compliance boundary had elevated levels of certain constituents. Based on the data and guidance from CFPUA’s own groundwater experts, CFPUA contacted Duke Energy with concerns about the potential for future quality issues with the groundwater supply. The dialogue that followed resulted in the agreement.
It is important to note there is no current health risk to CFPUA’s customers currently served by Flemington’s drinking water wells. Monitoring data continues to show the wells remain in compliance with federal and state drinking water regulations and the construction project will be completed long before any projected groundwater impacts.
Since CFPUA’s master plan includes a large-diameter water line serving the U.S. 421 corridor, CFPUA is upsizing the line to provide more capacity and open the area to greater economic development. Upon review of the water line project, CFPUA determined the construction of sewer lines at the same time would be cost-effective and achieve master plan objectives.
As a result, agreements were reached with New Hanover County and the City of Wilmington to construct two 8-inch sewer lines underneath the Cape Fear River. CFPUA and New Hanover County will split the sewer project’s $1.2 million cost, while the City of Wilmington will provide the use of essential city land for construction and maintenance of the lines.
“When this project began, our goal was to ensure that people who live and work in the Flemington area continue receiving high-quality drinking water,” said Jim Flechtner, CFPUA Executive Director. “Today’s drilling is another important step towards fulfilling that goal. At the same time, the installation of the sewer mains will enable us to accelerate a portion of our wastewater master plan and aid New Hanover County and the City of Wilmington with their important economic objectives.”
For more information about the Flemington project, please contact Mike McGill, Chief Communications Officer, at 332-6704 or via email at mike.mcgill@cfpua.org.
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Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA) was formed by the City of Wilmington and New Hanover County to combine their water and sewer operations. It began operations on July 1, 2008. Today, the Authority serves more than 67,000 water customer accounts and more than 65,000 wastewater customer accounts. It oversees more than 1,000 miles of water distribution mains and nearly 1,000 miles of sewer mains. For more information, visit www.cfpua.org or contact CFPUA’s Communications staff at communications@cfpua.org.