County receives $3.3 million grant to improve infrastructure

By Rose Hooper

The Whittier Sanitary District has received a $3 million grant from the N.C. Rural Economic Development Center. The center is partly funded through the N.C. Senate's Natural and Economic Resources Appropriations Subcommittee, of which Robinson is a former member.

The Whittier Sanitary District, formed 15 years ago at the approval of Jackson and Swain counties, provides water to about 90 metered customers in the area. While it operates its own water system, it does not provide sewer service.

The grant money will fund a sewer treatment plant in the area, Robinson said. The new sewer plant will allow for the expansion of the Jackson Industrial Park and service private homes in the Whittier area. It will also serve the Whittier Church of God Assembly and the Cherokee Indian Tribe's new recreation park at Gateway.

Partners in the project include the Economic Development Commission of Jackson County, the Jackson County Board of Commissioners, the Cherokee Indian Reservation and the Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority. While the grant has been awarded to the Whittier Sanitary District, the new sewer plant will eventually be titled to TWSA.

The plant will handle 100,000 gallons of wastewater per day. According to TWSA's 20-year study conducted by W.K. Dickson of Asheville, the Qualla/U.S. 441 area is one of the areas of Jackson County predicted to expand by the greatest proportions in the coming years.

An additional $300,000 will be used to construct a pumping station and forced main from No. 2 Plant, the former Sylva sewer plant near Harold's, to No. 1 Plant on North River Road, according to Jerry King, TWSA's executive director.

"This will help us expand our No. 1 Plant," King said. "We certainly appreciate the hard work and lobbying effort of our county representation in Raleigh."

Back to Archive: 02/15/01.