Tag Archive for: #kerrlakeregionalwatersystem

The Local Skinny! N.C. Rep. Bryan Cohn Says $10M For Water Plant Expansion Is Spent

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N.C. Rep. Bryan Cohn said House Bill 74, signed into law last week by Gov. Josh Stein, is not anticipated to have any impact on the $10 million that had been reappropriated away from the City of Oxford as part of the Kerr Lake Regional Water expansion.

“That money has been distributed and contractors have been paid,” Cohn told WIZS News Monday morning. “That money no longer exists.”

Cohn learned in early March that the bill contained language that would “claw back” money that had been appropriated to the City of Oxford in 2023 to expand the water plant. The project is underway, and once complete, will increase capacity to up to 20 million gallons a day.

“The facts are that the city of Oxford, through the water authority, applied for reimbursement to DEQ. DEQ evaluated that reimbursement request, just like they would any other reimbursement request, and they issued the final payment,” Cohn explained. “So that money has been distributed and the contractors working at Kerr Lake Regional Water plant have been paid – at least they’ve been paid using the funds allocated by the General Assembly.”

You can’t spend money twice, and Cohn said he is unsure what will happen next, but he added “the law is on our side.” The money was originally allocated in 2023 by the N.C. General Assembly for the regional water expansion project.

“That project is underway and they followed all the proper protocols and procedures for executing the work and getting reimbursement as required,” he said.

Cohn said when he learned that there was an attempt to reallocate the funding, he said he recommended that they needed to request reimbursement and follow the process given.

“At no point did I ask DEQ or anyone to circumvent or expedite anything,” Cohn explained, adding that he “simply asked the regional water authority and the city of oxford to go ahead and put in for reimbursement before this became law.”

In House Bill 74, South Granville Water and Sewer Authority was appropriated $3 million for an expansion project of its own, and Cohn said he fully supports those efforts. The other $7 million was to have been used in Franklin County and a couple of other counties, for similar projects.

“We have the opportunity to do something right now with this budget,” he said, referring to the fact that legislators are in the middle of creating the state’s budget. But he said he didn’t want to be in a situation of robbing Peter to pay Paul.

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N.C. Rep. Bryan Cohn Says House Bill 74 Would Drain $10 Million From Regional Water System Expansion Project

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UPDATE THURS, MAY 1 AT 4:15 P.M. –

House Bill 74, now through the third reading in the N.C. Senate, is one step closer to being passed into law. Wording in the bill calls for $10 million appropriated for the Kerr Lake Regional Water System in expansion project to be reappropriated to fund other projects in the state.

District 32 N.C. Rep. Bryan Cohn told WIZS News that he was made aware on Mar. 4 “that language had been added” to House Bill 74 about the proposed reappropriation, in essence pulling funds that had been appropriated in October 2023 to the city of Oxford to help with the water plant expansion project.

Cohn said he contacted stakeholders of the regional water system to form a plan, and turned his attention to the bill’s sponsors. “They were unwilling to accept any amendments or remove the language,” Cohn said Thursday morning.

“There was no way for us to stop it,” he said, calling the maneuver a ‘predetermined outcome.’

“I’ve got the governor involved, I’ve got (U.S. Congressman) Don Davis involved,” Cohn said.

Cohn, a former Oxford town commissioner, was elected in November 2024 to represent N.C. House District 32, which includes most of Vance County and all of Granville County.

 

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TOWNTALK AUDIO UPDATE THURS, MAY 1 AT 11:00 A.M.

CLICK PLAY! — Updated by John Rose

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UPDATE WED, APR 30 AT 5:45 P.M. –

N.C. House Bill 74 covered below and involving the $10 million appropriation for the Kerr Lake Regional Water System plant expansion project, passed its second reading in the Senate this afternoon, but there will be no third reading today. House District 32 Representative Bryan Cohn told WIZS News, “It will need a third reading in the Senate before it can come back to the House.” If adopted by a final House vote, then it would go to the Governor.  The Governor may sign it, veto it or let it sit for 10 days. If it sits on the Governor’s desk for 10 days, it becomes law. — Updated by John Rose

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UPDATE TUES, APR 29 AT 5:54 P.M. –

N.C. State Rep. Bryan Cohn has called a decision by the North Carolina Senate Appropriations/Base Budget Committee to advance House Bill 74 House Budget Technical Corrections an “egregious misuse of power.”

Cohn, who represents District 32 and serves most of Vance and Granville counties, stated in a press release issued late Tuesday afternoon that House Bill 74 “unjustly removes $10 million in previously awarded state funding for the expansion and modernization of the Kerr Lake Regional Water Plant. Despite compelling evidence of severe harm presented during committee testimony, Republican leadership chose to advance the bill, effectively redistributing resources from predominantly African-American communities to wealthier, predominantly white areas of the state.”

The Kerr Lake Regional Water System serves the City of Oxford, the City of Henderson, all of Warren County, as well as numerous surrounding communities. Cohn said the project expansion is underway, with contracts signed, construction begun and local governments committing matching funds based on the state’s commitment it made in 2023.

“Without these funds, the project will face delays and halts in construction, and ratepayers will be levied with an unfair burden to cover costs the state had already committed to fulfilling,” Cohn’s statement continued.

Henderson City Manager/Attorney Hassan T. Kingsberry told WIZS News Tuesday afternoon that Mayor Melissa Elliott was in Raleigh today and has been in touch with Cohn, but didn’t elaborate. “The KLRWS has a lawyer and lobbyist that we probably should consult with before much of this can be answered,” Kingsberry said. “Also, the City of Oxford shares our same position.”

Of the $10 million allocated to the city of Oxford, $3 million will now be diverted to the South Granville Water and Sewer Authority and another $3 million will be allocated to Franklin County for an infrastructure project. The remaining $4 million goes to two other counties outside the WIZS coverage area.

“This action by the Senate is not a technical correction—it’s outright theft and political retribution,” said Rep. Cohn. “Stripping critical funds already promised and invested sends a clear, disturbing message: partisan politics comes before the well-being and basic needs of thousands of North Carolinians.”

“Make no mistake—this decision endangers the health, economic stability, and future development of communities that Republicans in Raleigh have repeatedly ignored,” Cohn added. “We cannot allow this egregious misuse of power to go unchallenged.”

Cohn called on legislators across party lines to reverse this damaging decision and protect critical infrastructure investments that support all North Carolinians, regardless of race, income, or political affiliation.

“We demand better,” concluded Rep. Cohn. “The residents of Oxford, Henderson, and Warren County deserve reliable partners in Raleigh, not political adversaries who treat their futures as expendable.”

(Original news post at 5:54 p.m. on Tues, Apr 29 by Laura Gabel)

The Local Skinny! Kerr Lake Regional Water System

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Funding improvements to the regional water system are being approved at a steady trickle, and city leaders are managing the various projects that could ultimately have a price tag twice the size as was originally quoted, pre-COVID.

The Henderson City Council approved a couple of resolutions at its Aug. 19 meeting that will bring $16.5 million to keep working on the Kerr Lake Regional Water System to bring its production to 20 million gallons of water a day as well as other related infrastructure projects.

Council member Garry Daeke told WIZS News in a telephone interview that the city has the money necessary to complete the regional water system expansion, having received $10.8 million from the N.C. Dept. of Environmental Quality for the water project and $5 million in grant funding with support in July 2022 from State Sen. Lisa Barnes.

An additional $1 million is being allocated to address lead mitigation in the city’s water lines from the state’s drinking water revolving fund.

Water Resources Director Christy Lipscomb continues to manage the projects and keeps city leaders informed about progress.

As spelled out in the City Council’s agenda package, the city was originally approved for a state revolving loan of more than $31.8 million for the water system upgrade project, but NCDEQ has kicked in another $10,890,172 to help the system reach its full capacity of 20 million gallons per day. This addition brings the total thus far to $50,783,172.

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TownTalk: Kerr Lake Regional Water Systems Keeps The Water Flowing

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A recent groundbreaking ceremony at the city’s water treatment facility is a tangible indication that all the t’s have been crossed and the I’s dotted to set in motion an expansion project that will, once completed, double the facility’s output to as much as 20 million gallons of water a day.

This is good news for the current 55,000 customers who rely on the Kerr Lake Regional Water System, but Water Resources Director Christy Lipscomb said increased capacity also will allow for growth.

Lipscomb was a guest on Wednesday’s TownTalk and explained just what the almost $80 million expansion project would involve and when it is expected to be completed.

“I am very excited,” Lipscomb said. “This will give us more tools in our toolbox to treat the water and some of the things that show up in the water.

As water testing improves, the EPA and the state set forth regulations that water systems must comply with. “We have to meet (the regulations) and know that it’s going to be safe for the customers,” she said.

The existing system is what Lipscomb calls a “conventional” system, and the plan is to add on to the current building to add a super pulsator system – or Super P, for short.

“It’s like the conventional system, but it runs more efficiently and effectively,” she said of the Super P.

And while there presently no problems with contaminants in the water, having this newer style of system with activated carbon will help if problems arise in the future.

If all goes according to plan, the project will take between 20 months and 30 months to complete, but it will allow for up to 20 million gallons of water a day to be treated and returned to customers for use.

The City of Henderson is the managing partner of the regional water system and has a 60 percent ownership; the city of Oxford and Warren County each have a 20 percent ownership.

Right now, Lipscomb the different entities aren’t using all the water that is allocated to them on paper, which helps the system stay ahead of the game.

On an average day, the water plant treats 7.1 million gallons. When that capacity more than doubles, it could be a game-changer for the area.

Once there is more capacity, customers like Henderson, Oxford and Warren County can use that as a drawing card for economic development.

The plan is to use the Super P as the main treatment source, but keep the conventional system as a backup, just in case. And then, later, a second Super P would be installed and the conventional system would be decommissioned, Lipscomb said.

She said customers shouldn’t see any disruptions in service or changes in water quality because of the expansion.

“They shouldn’t experience anything disruptive,” she said, adding that the city would send out notices if something were to occur that would affect water customers.

CLICK PLAY to hear Christy Lipscomb TownTalk Broadcast!

Water Treatment Plant Project May See $3.5 M In Federal Funds

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The regional water plant improvement project continues to move forward, but so far, it’s more like a steady trickle than a blast from a firehose. Rep. David Price visited the water treatment plant last week and met with officials from the area to share that there likely will be $3.5 million in federal funds appropriated for the project, which has an estimated price tag of $66 million.

Henderson Mayor Eddie Ellington said Price toured the Flemingtown Road facility and spoke with the tri-county delegation about the project, which will double the daily treatment capacity when it’s completed.

The KLRWS serves Henderson, Oxford and Warren County; Henderson is the managing partner at 60 percent and the City of Oxford and Warren County each have a 20 percent stake.

Ellington told WIZS News Tuesday that the visit  gave Price a chance to meet with mayors and managers to see first-hand how federal funding would be used.

“As the demand for water from our neighboring counties, new customers, as well as the growth we are experiencing, this is vital to our future,” Ellington said in an email. “I spoke with Rep. Price as he was leaving and he assured me he’s confident that this would make it through Congress for this fiscal year.”
Others on hand for the visit in addition to Ellington were KLRWS Chief Operator Steve Gupton, Henderson City Manager Terrell Blackmon, Oxford City Manager Alan Thornton, Warren County Manager Vincent Jones, Oxford Mayor Jackie Sergent and others, according to Ellington.

The city of Oxford is in Price’s district and he received a request for funding from city government officials; Warren County and Henderson are in G.K. Butterfield’s district and Henderson city officials requested funding on behalf of those entities. City Manager Blackmon said each congressional district was given the opportunity to submit the 10 best projects to be considered to receive federal funds in the 2022 Interior Appropriations Bill. This project represents a collaborative effort from both congressional districts, Blackmon said.

“This appropriation is only a small part of the total funding for the expansion project,” Blackmon said. The current funding commitment from the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality SRF Program for the expansion project is more than $45 million, leaving a gap of about $20 million. The $3.5 million appropriation will assist in filling the funding gap for this project, he added.

Price issued a press statement in June about his efforts to fund projects in his home district. “Clean water is not a luxury – it’s fundamental to the health and safety of our communities, but our aging water infrastructure urgently needs funding,” Price stated. “I’m pleased that the House Appropriations Interior and Environment Subcommittee included these critical projects in their annual funding bill, bringing them one step closer to reality with the passage of the House bill in Subcommittee.”

In addition to making repairs and forming expansion plans, the overall price tag is heftier because costs simply have gone up. The funding gap is preventing the project from getting underway.

One option would be to raise water rates slightly to cover the increased project cost.

In January 2021, the Henderson City Council approved a revised project cost of $57 million for upgrades to the regional water system, which serves 15 municipalities in three counties. At that time, Council member Garry Daeke, who also serves as the KLWRS advisory board chair, told WIZS that council’s action would allow the project to continue, but if additional grants or other funding streams couldn’t be secured, it could mean a rise in water rates.

Since talk of the project first began several years ago, there have been several challenges to overcome, including purchase of a new pump and rising construction costs. The original price was estimated at close to $40 million, but by the fall of 2020, the cost had risen considerably.

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More Money Needed to Expand Kerr Lake Regional Water System Plant

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Update: Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2021 – The Henderson City Council voted to allow City Management to find funding options up to $20 million.  Before anything is actually borrowed, the Council would have to take action to approve it.

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Henderson City staff are recommending the Henderson City Council authorize getting more funding to cover the present shortfall in project funding for the upgrade and expansion of the Kerr Lake Regional Water System.

The council will take a look at this and possibly vote on whether to seek the funds at the regular monthly meeting Monday night, August 9.  Regular meetings start at 6 p.m. at City Hall on Rose Avenue.

Costs have gone up.  About $20 million more is needed to get the three Kerr Lake Regional Water System partners Henderson (60%), Oxford (20%) and Warren County (20%) to the now guaranteed maximum price of $66 million.  Henderson is the managing partner.

If the funds can be had by grant or loan, then it will be the second time more money was needed, if you want to look at it that way.  First it was rehab, then expansion and now, simply, costs have gone up.

To express it in more progressive terms, the process being employed is actually called Progressive Design-Build delivery, allowing the KLRWS to work from a single contract, retain control, budget carefully and stay flexible to arrive at a quality result.

According to Henderson City Council agenda packet information, containing script written by City Manager Terrell Blackmon, “This $20.107 million funding shortfall is currently preventing this project from moving forward into construction.”

Blackmon indicated in a fiscal note to the Council in the agenda packet that “project costs will cause the City of Henderson to raise water rates slightly to cover these increased costs of the project but will be determined later prior to the City taking on any additional debt service.”

If you’d like to read more and see more of the recent history, continue reading the quoted words of Blackmon from the agenda packet below:

“The City of Henderson, on behalf of the three Partners, applied for funding to rehabilitate portions of the Kerr Lake Regional Water Treatment Plant (KLRWTP) in the spring 2017 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) funding cycle. The DWSRF funding amount approved for this work was $19,893,000. Subsequently, in 2017, the KLRWS Partners determined that a capacity expansion of the KLRWTP was needed, and submitted two additional applications for DWSRF funding. Those two applications were approved in March 2018, allocating an additional $15,000,000 in funding to the City of Henderson and $5,000,000 to Warren County. Further, the
City of Oxford was awarded $6,000,000 bringing the total amount of DWSRF project funding as of August 4, 2021 to $45,893,000 for the KLRWTP Upgrades Project. The project will rehabilitate aging facilities, replace old equipment, and expand the facilities at the existing KLRWTP to bring the treatment capacity to a reliable 20 million gallons per day (MGD). The subject project is being delivered by a Progressive Design-Build delivery method, and CDM Smith was selected by a competitive procurement process in 2017 to be the project Design-Builder. CDM Smith has nearly completed Phase 1 of the design-build process, which includes design to a 70% milestone and development of construction pricing. In September 2020, CDM Smith notified KLRWS that they had received pricing and quotes from their subcontractors, vendors, and suppliers, and that the construction cost of the project had increased significantly since a budget was set in 2017, and since the last estimate had been prepared in early 2019. CDM Smith has arrived at a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) of $66 million. The revised construction cost of $66 million is $20.107 million greater than the approved SRF funding amount of $45.893 million. This $20.107 million funding shortfall is currently preventing this project from moving forward into construction.”

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Franklin Co. Requests Additional 450,000 Gallons of Water Per Day From KLRWS

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100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL

Henderson Mayor Eddie Ellington requested a Special Called Meeting of the Henderson City Council on Tuesday afternoon, August 18, 2020.

According to Ellington, the purpose of the meeting was to discuss a request from Franklin County for an additional 450,000 gallons of water per day from the Kerr Lake Regional Water System (KLRWS), of which the City of Henderson is a managing partner.

Discussions about the terms and if KLRWS and its partners will accept are on-going.

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Trihalomethane Violation Notices Sent With Recent Henderson Water Bills

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– Public Notice, City of Henderson

Recently, the Kerr Lake Regional Water System sent out notices that told about a total trihalomethane violation. Two notices were sent out in December for the 2nd and 3rd quarters of 2018 and one in January 2019 for the 4th quarter of 2018. Total trihalomethanes are a disinfection byproduct that is created by adding the disinfectant chlorine to water in order to make it potable for drinking. The organics in water that occur naturally react with the chlorine and create total trihalomethanes.

Henderson tests a total of 4 sites every quarter per state regulations. One of the sites that are tested had readings over the MCL (maximum contaminant level) determined by EPA standards. The maximum contaminant level for trihalomethanes is 80 parts per billion. Anything over this amount is considered a maximum contaminant violation and public notification is required at that site.

Due to the LRAA (local running annual average) being above the MCL, a system-wide notice was required to be sent out to all customers of the City of Henderson. These were the notices that were received in the water bills of December 2018 and January 2019.

If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact Christy Lipscomb, KLRWP Director, at (252) 438-2141 or clipscomb@ci.henderson.nc.us.

Oxford’s Public Works Committee to Discuss Member Rates for Water System

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-Press Release, City of Oxford

The Public Works, Water, & Infrastructure Committee for the Oxford Board of Commissioners will meet on Thursday, December 6, 2018, at 11 a.m. The meeting will be held in the First Floor Training Room, City Hall, 300 Williamsboro Street in Oxford.

The purpose of the meeting is to discuss financial planning and member rate analysis for the Kerr Lake Regional Water System.

All those interested are invited to attend.

City of Henderson Offers Update on Water Situation

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PRESS RELEASE: 15 February 2017

The City of Henderson/ Kerr Lake Regional Water System has begun the repair on a 36” water main just outside the water plant.  Due to the repair procedure, some customers may experience periods of cloudy or discolored water; however, it is safe to drink. This should clear up by the evening of February 16, 2017. While there should be no disruption of service during this time, we do ask customers to practice conservation of water during this time and not to use fire hydrants except for emergency purposes.

Should you have any questions concerning this repair please contact Christy Lipscomb, KLRWP Director at 252-438-2142.