A second Neuse water supply inches forward

SMITHFIELD — County Commissioners on June 17 took a step toward creating a second water-supply source on the Neuse River.

Chandra Cox, head of public utilities, said she and her staff were on a bit of a schedule. “To have that project ready to go by 2029 or 2030 … it’s time to begin the preliminary planning and technical review,” she told commissioners last week.

To help with that, commissioners agreed to spend $850,000 to hire an “owner’s adviser,” an engineering firm that will have a long to-do list. Among many things, the firm will obtain the needed permits, help seek funding and complete reservoir modeling and water-line routing.

Johnston already has a key component of what the county is calling the Lower Neuse Water Supply. In 2008, commissioners purchased an abandoned quarry and the surrounding land — 117 acres in all — off of Old Cornwallis Road near Princeton.

But much work remains to be done, including the construction of a water intake on the Neuse River near Richardson Bridge Road.

“This water will be pumped back to the quarry for storage and treatment at a new water-treatment plant on the site,” Farmer said.

In its first phase, the treatment plant would produce 12 million gallons of water daily, Farmer said. “We would plan for future expansions of the facility over time,” she said.

Already, the quarry, which can hold 800 million gallons of water, is full, Farmer noted. “But as we use water from the quarry, we would replace it with water from the new intake at Richardson Bridge Road,” she explained.

Producing potable water is one thing; getting it to customers is another. So the project includes the laying of water mains to transmit those 12 million gallons throughout the county’s distribution system.

In all, Farmer expects the Lower Neuse Water Supply to cost $527 million to build.

“The county is currently considering the most feasible means to fund the project in order to keep affordable user rates,” she said.

The project will produce water for all of Johnston and perhaps cities and towns beyond the county’s borders, Farmer said. So “we will work to secure any possible funding through state or federal grants and, or appropriations,” she said.

Farmer and her staff will also look to revenue bonds and other forms of borrowing, including state and federal loans.

Finally, the county will turn to its larger bulk-water customers for dollars, Farmer said. “A large portion of the necessary future capacity will be for the Town of Clayton service area,” she said. “Therefore, we are discussing funding and partnership arrangements with the town.”

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