Carroll County PSA seeks state match to extend Exit 1 regional wastewater line to Mount Airy

The Carroll County Public Service Authority heard an update Feb. 3 on the Exit 1 Regional Wastewater Project, where staff said a $2,500,000 state budget amendment in both the House and the Senate would match existing loan funds to extend the line to Mount Airy.

The amendment would “match the existing money that we have loan money in order to extend that line to Mount Airy,” said Mr. Watson, a Carroll County PSA staff member. He said, “If these budget amendments go through, then, we'll start the design part of the project and hopefully move forward with it. It's extremely needed.” Design work and further construction depend on the governor signing the budget amendment, Watson said.

Watson also updated the authority on a consent-order requirement from the state Department of Environmental Quality that staff described as a request to remove the scribe (as listed in the order). He said the engineers were notified the authority would move forward with a lower-cost “trash basket” option that had been bid and that staff would follow up with the engineers for a completion date.

The project was also described as coordinated with the North Carolina Department of Transportation, which “still, want[s] to move forward with it,” Watson said. No formal action or vote on the Exit 1 project was recorded at the Feb. 3 meeting; staff said they were monitoring the state budget process and would start design work after the budget amendment is finalized.

Why it matters: The matching funds would fill a financing gap staff said is required to extend sewer service toward Mount Airy; without the state match, staff said advancing construction would be difficult.

Next steps: If the governor signs the amendment staff expects design to begin within months; the authority will return to the board with design schedules and timelines, Watson said.