Goldsboro hears detailed plan to upgrade aging water reclamation plant as council adopts a 7.5% utility rate increase

Goldsboro council members heard a multi‑part presentation on the Arrington Bridge Water Reclamation Facility on the evening the council considered utility rates and the city budget.

Hazen & Sawyer engineers and city utilities staff described the plant’s condition and needs, saying parts of the plant date to the 1960s and the last major upgrade was in 2003. Colin Beck of Hazen & Sawyer summarized the project scope and timeline, noting that state regulations and capacity limits (the plant is permitted at 14.2 million gallons per day, and North Carolina DEQ flags projects that reach 80% of permitted average annual flow) make upgrades urgent for future sewer extensions and economic growth.

The presentation reviewed historical flow data, the DEQ “80/90” trigger (80% triggers an engineering evaluation; at 90% construction is expected to start), and options for phased expansion. City staff and consultants said the design‑phase work (basis of design report and preliminary cost estimate) would narrow a previously stated budget range and allow the team to propose a guaranteed maximum price during design‑build procurement.

Why it matters: The city’s wastewater limits have…