County presentation finds no urgent need to merge Spindale and Rutherfordton wastewater systems but urges planning for consolidation

A county-funded consultant presented findings on a regionalization study of wastewater services for Rutherford County on July 7, saying the utilities in Spindale and Rutherfordton have made significant improvements since 2014 and that consolidation, while not immediately required, should be planned for.

The study, prepared by Ardura (formerly WK Dixon), was summarized by consultant Seth Robertson and introduced by County Manager Steve Garrison. Robertson told the Board the review focused on regulatory compliance, infrastructure investment needs, financial sustainability and customer affordability, and emergency resiliency following recent storm events.

The main takeaway is that "there's not an obvious short term driver that says you have to do some type of merger or regionalization or consolidation," Robertson said, adding that the utilities have secured grant funding, completed capital projects and raised rates in a measured way to improve finances. He added that long-term pressures — higher construction costs and shrinking grant availability — make planning for consolidation prudent.

Why it matters: Consolidation can create economies of scale that reduce per-customer costs and improve emergency response, the report said. Robertson highlighted that consolidated operations can save on staff and contracting costs and permit flow sharing between systems during outages or extreme weather.

Key recommendations from the consultant and county staff include: forming a joint working group among Rutherford County, the towns of Spindale and Rutherfordton, and Broad River Water Authority; completing asset-management inventories (especially Rutherfordton's ongoing inventory); developing a combined capital improvement plan; engaging the N.C. Division of Water Infrastructure early to pursue funding tied to regionalization; and creating an integrated countywide emergency response plan for utilities. Robertson also recommended considering membership in WaterWarn, a statewide mutual-aid network for utilities.

The presentation emphasized that Broad River Water Authority already has charter language allowing wastewater operations, making it a potential vehicle for a larger consolidated utility. Robertson said preliminary analysis indicated bringing Cliffside Sanitary District into a consolidated structure would be feasible if sufficient grant funding addressed its capital needs but warned that Cliffside's small size makes self-funding difficult.

County Manager Steve Garrison and town managers Doug Berry (Rutherfordton) and Scott Weber (Spindale) attended and were named in the presentation as active participants in the study. Financial analysis work for the study was credited to Ralph Tellis.

No action required: The Board was told the study is informational; no vote was required. Robertson said the report will be finalized and submitted to the state, and the county will provide minutes showing the study was presented to close out the grant.

Ending: Commissioners thanked the study team and the participating towns. County staff said they will use the report as a platform for future conversations about interconnection projects, shared staffing/purchasing and grant opportunities tied to regionalization.