Home Local News Rockingham, county working on wastewater deal for industrial complex

Rockingham, county working on wastewater deal for industrial complex

The Rockingham City Council on Tuesday approved a memorandum of understanding with the county to provide wastewater for Energy Way Industrial Park. Photo by William R. Toler - Richmond Observer

ROCKINGHAM — The City Council on Tuesday approved a memorandum of understanding with the county to provide sewer service for the Energy Way Industrial Park.

The document, not binding, is a precursor for an interlocal agreement, based on conversations between City Manager Monty Crump and County Manager Bryan Land.

Crump said the memorandum would serve as proof of acceptance so the county could apply for grants to fund the project.

The county has already received $2.5 million in funding — $1.5 million from the Golden LEAF Foundation and $1 million from the N.C. Commerce Industrial Development Fund.

“Due to Hamlet’s delays and moratorium and ultimately their limited capacity on their wastewater plant, we feel Rockingham will provide a better long-term solution for wastewater, as they currently have ample capacity with (the) ability to expand to 12 million gallons per day,” Land told the Richmond County Board of Commissioners last week during his budget presentation.

According to the memorandum, the county would pay to extend the sewer line from the Energy Way complex, south of Hamlet, to Rockingham’s existing sewer system, with the connection point expected to be a 12-inch gravity sewer line near the intersection of Airport Road and Maple Street — around 6 miles. Once complete, the city would take ownership of the line.

Initially, the city would allocate 200,000 gallons of wastewater capacity for the county’s use daily at a one-time charge of $1.25 million, which Crump considers a “fair price.” The maxim capacity is 400,000 gallons per day and the future interlocal agreement would provide parameters on how to calculate the cost.

The city will offer the out-of-town industrial rate as the charge for collecting and treating the wastewater, according to the document.

Crump said this arrangement would be similar to the agreement the city has with the town of Ellerbe.

“So the big-picture view here is that this agreement allows the county to recruit industry because they can provide volume for wastewater,” Mayor John Hutchinson said.

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Councilman Bennett Deane credited the current commissioners for coming to the city to put together a deal.

“They can’t build anything out there without this in place,” Deane said, adding that the previous board was warned about a decade ago. “This is their avenue for making that a viable industrial park.”

Councilman Steve Morris said the agreement was one of the best things “we can possibly do for the future of Rockingham and Richmond County” — aside from setting the city’s budget.

“We were fortunate enough and used a little bit of foresight to build a larger wastewater treatment plant than we needed … and that’s why we have that capacity now,” Morris said. “We set our sights high.”

Morris said if the county had to build a treatment plant now, it would cost $4 million or more — “So this is saving them a tremendous amount of money.”
Land told Commissioners last week that once the project is complete, “all infrastructure will be in place for full marketability.”

The county manager added that there are only five sites in the state that boast both heavy utility and high acreage.

“We feel very fortunate to be one of those sites, and the only one in Southeastern North Carolina,” Land said.

The county is planning a marketing campaign with the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina that will pitch the park to site selectors, real estate agents and heavy manufacturing companies, according to Land.

Energy Way, which encompasses around 700 acres, is currently home to Duke Energy’s Smith Energy Complex and the NCEMC plant.



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Managing Editor William R. Toler is an award-winning writer and photographer with experience in print, television and online media.