Rocky Mount staff, consultants outline multi-part plan to address sanitary sewer overflows

Ken Bridal, a consultant with Withers, and city staff presented a multi-part approach to sanitary sewer overflows to the Rocky Mount City Council work session, describing causes, limits of local authority and options for managing repeated wet-weather discharges. "Sanitary sewer overflow is an issue that we don't want to have to deal with, but unfortunately, we have to keep plugging away at it," said mister Barney, introducing the consultants.

Bridal told the council that the state recorded 1,326 sanitary sewer overflows in 2024 and that 15 of those originated in Rocky Mount. He described root intrusion, collapsed pipe sections, private-side inflow and fats, oil and grease as common causes and framed the city's technical choices as three broad tactics drawn from EPA guidance: remove (repair/replace), convey (send extra flow to the treatment plant), or store (detain during storms). "There's really 3 things you can do with it," Bridal said.

Why it matters: the presentation stressed that much of the extra wet-weather flow comes from privately owned laterals and properties, which limits what the city can directly fix. Bridal said roughly 60% of the extra water typically comes from private sources and gave a local example in which the city controls about 240 feet of public pipe adjacent to homes while about 960 feet of private lateral pipe is beyond city control.

Council discussion focused on next steps and funding. Bridal and Deepth, another consultant on the project, urged adoption of an asset management plan, expanded CCTV and flow metering, and formation of a stakeholders group that includes surrounding municipalities. Staff noted the city has already spent money on repairs in recent years — staff reported about $1.3 million in recent months, and when grant spending is included that figure could be closer to $2 million — and said the city must develop a funding strategy before large-scale construction can proceed.

Council members pressed staff on practical fixes and responsibility for damages caused during utility installation. Councilman Daughtridge asked whether the city could pursue contractors retroactively for damage caused by boring; staff said that while contractors sometimes reimburse costs when damage is reported soon after work, pursuing replacement costs five years later is unlikely. Councilman Wolk and others discussed a regional approach with neighboring municipalities to qualify for grant funding; staff said regional applications can improve access to grant money.

Bridal gave operational recommendations that the council could adopt quickly, including expanded smoke testing and CCTV beyond the state's baseline (the state requires CCTV of about 10% of a system annually, staff said), targeted manhole rehabilitation and pump station upgrades. He emphasized that purely piecemeal repairs can leave the system vulnerable to future storms: "If we can't afford it, we're not gonna do it," Bridal said, arguing for a strategic funding plan and stakeholder coordination.

The presentation closed with staff saying a draft asset management plan is under review and will return to council once the state has completed its review. Staff recommended forming a stakeholder committee and combining technical, operational and elected-official perspectives before committing to major capital works.

Ending: Staff and consultants recommended council authorize continued planning steps — expanded inspection, asset management plan adoption, flow monitoring and formation of a stakeholders group — and to develop a funding strategy that can pair local investment with regional grant opportunities.