For Immediate Release
In February of 2016 City Engineer Amy Ratliff recommended that the City apply for NC Connect, North Carolina State funds. Faced with aging water and sewer infrastructure that in places dates back to 1907, the Commissioners approved the recommendation and ordered a plan to proceed.
In September of 2016, The Board of Commissioners approved a water and sewer rate increase to meet minimum rates required by the State of North Carolina to apply for the water and sewer grants and loans to allow Oxford to be in a better position to maintain both existing and new infrastructure well into the future.
City Engineer Ratliff led the team that developed a $96 million Ten Year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) that was adopted by the Board in regular session on September 13th, 2016. Project planning on the improvements is already underway and construction is slated to start on the water and sewer infrastructure as early as this summer.
On January 18th 2017, the North Carolina State Water Infrastructure Authority, voted unanimously to grant the City of Oxford over $6 Million in state grants and nearly $4 Million in 0% interest loans to replace over nine miles of water and sewer infrastructure within the Oxford city limits.
Securing this funding is the first step in fortifying the water and sewer infrastructure in Oxford. Residents will notice work on these infrastructure improvements in the coming months. The completed system will pave the way for continued residential and commercial growth in our community.
Much of the water and sewer infrastructure upgrades need to be completed in time for the City to piggy-back on the North Carolina Department of Transportation resurfacing project scheduled to begin in the spring of 2018. By working with DOT, The City of Oxford will be able to resurface about four times as many road-miles as they have in the past.
