The regional water project continues to move forward, and county commissioners last week approved an amendment to the engineering services agreement as part of its compliance with the U.S. Department of Agriculture review process.
“We are still working with USDA to get to the point where they will authorize us to go to bid on the project,” Vance County Manager Jordan McMillen told WIZS News on Monday.
McMillen said if all goes well, the county will be able to finalize one remaining easement agreement that is necessary to gain USDA authorization to start the bid process.
“We are hopeful that would put us in position to get to construction in the spring of next year if all falls in place,” he said. The Phase 1B part of the project involves installing about 25 miles of water line to the east side of the town of Kittrell – that includes Bobbitt Road, Abbott Road, Julian Smith Road, Kittrell Road, S. Chavis Road, Dr. Finch Road, parts of Dick Smith Road and others in the area, McMillen explained.
The total cost is estimated at $6.5 million and includes $1,672,000 in USDA loan funds, $2.8 million in grant funds and $2 million in county ARPA funds.
The county has been working on this phase of the project since it took ownership of the Kittrell Water Association in 2018.