Prince George board hears sewer pump-station options, approves Route 301 well design contract and tank-maintenance agreement

County utilities staff briefed the Board of Supervisors Oct. 28 about wastewater and water infrastructure needs in growth corridors and the procurement actions that followed.

Sewer pump-station study and discussion: Utilities project engineer Miss Lumpkin described two proposed pump-station service areas: a roughly 275-acre area serving a proposed development near Route 3/Exit 45 and a larger roughly 1,700-acre area around Ruffin Road/Route 156 with a probable pump-station site identified by county engineers. Lumpkin explained that under county code developers are generally responsible for infrastructure they create but may request oversizing credits when lines are built larger than the immediate development requires. She outlined funding and policy tools the county could use if supervisors chose to invest in off-site infrastructure, including use of CIP funds, transfers from utility reserves with payback mechanisms, higher connection fees, development impact fees, special taxing districts, or mandatory connection requirements (which would likely require code changes).

Board members debated whether to ask staff for cost estimates to "jump start" development at the intersection. Multiple supervisors said they would welcome a ballpark estimate from staff without engaging consultants; others said the county’s more urgent water/wastewater constraints and an upcoming board turnover counseled caution. The board did not authorize county funding or a construction commitment that night; supervisors expressed mixed consensus and directed staff to proceed only with a limited, internally prepared ballpark estimate (no outside consulting contract authorized) and to defer commitments pending further review.

Route 301 well design contract: The board approved a professional-services award to Bowman for design and bidding services for a proposed Route 301 well and associated construction plans. The design-and-bid phase carries a contract amount of $163,876; staff said the preliminary engineering report estimates total project costs around $1.8 million and noted the well has been drilled and yields sufficient capacity to proceed to design. Funding for the design phase will come from the utilities fund; staff indicated the larger construction financing would be through debt issuance with debt service planned to be supported by a tourism-fund transfer.

Tank maintenance contract: The board also approved a cooperative-contract award to Southern Corrosion for comprehensive tank maintenance. The first-year price (covering the initial 10 smaller tanks) is $47,546; the second-year cost (after adding larger tanks and planned maintenance) is estimated at $135,455 plus CPI adjustments for renewals. Staff explained that the county’s previous larger-tank work has reduced near-term maintenance needs and that this award will place all county tanks on a standard maintenance schedule to preserve system reliability.

Why this matters: The board’s decisions affect where development may be feasible, how future customers will pay for infrastructure, and the county’s near-term capital and operating budgets. Staff emphasized developer responsibility under current codes but outlined options if the county chose to subsidize infrastructure to encourage development.

What the record shows: The transcript records a policy-level discussion and a cautious board consensus for staff-provided ballpark estimates only. The board approved the Bowman design contract by roll call and approved the Southern Corrosion maintenance contract; both awards were recorded in the meeting.