Union County, Monroe discuss purchase of wastewater capacity as Monroe plans 3 MGD expansion

Union County commissioners and Monroe city officials met Jan. 30 to discuss Monroe’s planned expansion of its wastewater treatment plant and whether the county would purchase additional treatment capacity.

City of Monroe representatives described a phased expansion that begins with an additional 3 million gallons per day (MGD). Mark (City of Monroe representative) said, “the city of Monroe is in the process of expanding its, wastewater treatment facility, for an addition of 3 MGD.” City staff said engineering is well underway, financing discussions with the Local Government Commission are scheduled for the first week of February, and construction is expected to begin at the end of 2025 with a roughly three‑year construction period.

The county’s existing agreement with Monroe provides Union County a contractual allotment of 2,650,000 gallons per day; county staff reported average use of about 1,718,000 gallons per day under that contract. Manager Ron Matthews (County manager) said staff-to-staff discussions have produced a staff recommendation that the county consider purchasing an additional 750,000 gallons of capacity from Monroe’s expansion: “the number that staff to staff that we indicated was 750,000 gallons.” No county board decision was made at the joint meeting.

Why it matters: Monroe’s expansion will affect regional wastewater discharge limits, rates and planning. City and county staff said the amount of additional capacity the county might request would factor into Monroe’s financing and rate model. City staff said the expansion is intended both to add treatment capacity and to allow rehabilitation of the existing plant; they described a multi-phase plan that could ultimately reach larger totals in future decades.

Key details from the discussion: - Expansion size and timeline: Phase 1 is 3 MGD; city officials described the work as a three‑year construction period beginning at the end of 2025. City staff said later phases are possible decades out, with phase 2 and 3 projected roughly 20–25 years depending on growth. - Current contractual capacity and use: Union County currently holds an agreement for 2,650,000 gallons per day and staff reported average use near 1,718,000 gpd. - Staff recommendation: County staff said their recommendation to their board would be to consider purchasing roughly 750,000 gpd of additional capacity, subject to board direction and contract negotiation. - Financing and cost estimates: City staff said the expansion is in the roughly $105–$115 million range (they characterized it as about $110 million) and that the city will use that range in rate modeling. The City said construction bids are expected back in the summer (city staff referenced an August bid opening window). - Permits and discharge limits: City staff said the plant’s discharge permit is currently authorized near 10.4 MGD and can be increased to a maximum of 15.4 MGD under current permitting; city staff also described seeking an interbasin transfer (IBT) from the Catawba Basin into the Rocky River Basin to accommodate discharge. County officials said they have attended public hearings on the proposed IBT and have concerns about effects on the Rocky River downstream load limits. - Uncertainties affecting county need: County staff said future county needs depend on factors including whether flow from Marshall/Marshville returns to Monroe and the pace of industrial or residential development in the Wingate area.

County next steps and outcome of the meeting: County commissioners did not take a formal vote to purchase capacity. Manager Matthews said staff will present the information to the county board at its Feb. 12 retreat and bring a recommendation back after that meeting. The joint meeting concluded without any binding agreements; the two bodies agreed to continue staff-to-staff negotiations and to keep communications open.

Quotes from the meeting are limited to those who spoke at the session. Mark (City of Monroe representative) described the expansion plan and financing timeline. Ron Matthews (County manager) described staff’s suggested figure and scheduling for the county’s internal decision-making. Commissioner Hughes said he entered the meeting seeking clarification “whether or not this was gonna be an addition or a or a new facility.” Commissioner Sods asked about projected price, and city staff responded with the $105–$115 million estimate.

The meeting closed after brief procedural business; commissioners did not vote on purchasing capacity during the joint session.