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EDC learns of county's critical water, sewer needs

By Rose Hooper

The county's critical water and sewer needs for the next three years total $14 million, Jerry King, executive director of Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority, told the Economic Development Commission Monday night.

Included in the needs are stand-by power so TWSA can operate for more than two days without electricity. King has also proposed extending water lines up Long Branch in Cullowhee, a 1-million-gallon water tank at the top of the mountain, and lines down the U.S. 441 side.

"That system, along with the water lines that will extend across the Tuckasegee River at Dillsboro, would create a way for us to expand on into Whittier," King told the EDC members. "Right now, we can't go past Dillsboro."

In 1998, the Dillsboro project was awarded $200,000 in federal funding but disagreement on how to get the lines across the river have held up the project, King reported.

Also included in the critical needs are upgrades to the system.

"We have 33 miles of sewer lines, some put in around 1920, and 48 miles of water lines, some in existence 75 years," he said.

The three-year plan is part of a $60 million, 20-year-plan proposed by W.K. Dickson engineering firm of Asheville.

"Unless we get some grant funds, and we weren't successful the last go-around, it doesn't look good," King said. "The only way around it will be a rate increase."

Sewer line construction along Skyland Drive, beginning at Mills Branch and extending to the new Scotts Creek School site on Parris Branch, should begin Monday, King reported. On a similar note, EDC Chairman Tom McClure told the board that it would be spearheading Gov. Hunt's Smart Growth initiative for Jackson County.

"I see us planning a Smart Growth Summit, probably in June," McClure said.

Cashiers EDC representative Eddie Madden said he felt a Smart Growth initiative was especially needed in the Cashiers area. "What kind of protection do we have from a 225-room hotel coming in and changing the character of our town?"

Madden assured King that not everybody in Cashiers is putting pressure on TWSA to expand the sewage treatment plant in Cashiers. The plant, which has a capacity of 100,000 gallons of daily flow, has reached its capacity during the summer season. No more businesses or residents can hook up to the system. Last year, a contingency from Cashiers, on more than one occasion, urged TWSA to expand their sewer treatment plant.

King said the $1.3 million grant he submitted to the state was rejected because Cashiers' yearly average use was not high enough. "In the winter time, it drops to about half," King said.

In other EDC action Monday night, committee assignments were made and include:

New Industry - Boyd Sossamon, chair; Ron Stephens, Jay Coward and Eric Brinke. Mike Geouge, ex-officio. Existing Industry - Mark Leonard, chair; Wendy Cagle, Delos Monteith and Eric Brinke. Mike Geouge, ex-officio. Commercial/Downtown Development - Herb Nolan, chair; Frank Wilkie, Eddie Madden and Sue Bumgarner. Julie Spiro and Karen Armel, ex-officio.

Back to Archive: 03/30/00.