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Eastmoor Phase 5 petition advances as Moore County water district seeks USDA funding
Summary
The East Moore Water District board voted to pursue a USDA funding application and preliminary engineering for a waterline extension along Wadsworth/Manor Road after hearing staff estimates of roughly $4–$5 million for about 12 miles of pipe and resident testimony about failing wells.
The East Moore Water District on May 2025 voted to move forward with an application to pursue USDA Rural Development funding for a waterline extension identified as Eastmoor Phase 5.
Public Works Director Brian Patnode told the board the petition along Wadsworth and Manor Road carried 35 signatures and that preliminary, high-level estimates put the work at "about 4 to $5,000,000 and that would be 12 miles of pipe." He said the next steps would include a preliminary engineering report and an environmental assessment and that those steps typically take "about 6 to 8 months" if the board authorizes staff to proceed.
Residents and board members described acute well problems in the area during the discussion. One speaker said neighbors "are in dire straits," describing families who rely on large hauled-water tanks and recurring tanker fills. Commissioners pressed staff on siting, proximity to Carthage's water system and zoning implications; staff and commissioners agreed the area is currently zoned RA, which does not allow major subdivisions by right, and requested that county zoning maps be overlaid with the proposed alignment before final design.
After discussion, a commissioner moved that the board "move forward with the application and" pursue the engineering and funding steps. The motion was restated by staff and carried by voice vote.
What happens next: staff said the county would advertise or solicit requests for qualifications from engineering firms to prepare the preliminary engineering report and environmental documentation needed for the USDA package. Commissioners signaled interest in coordinating the work with land-use planning to address potential growth-management concerns.
Votes and formal action: the board made and approved a motion to proceed with the USDA application and engineering solicitation.
Context: Eastmoor Phase 1–4 were funded previously with USDA programs, staff said. The district is considering connections to existing dead-end mains and looking at roughly 14 potential customers per mile in the proposed corridors, a rough figure staff noted may change with detailed field verification.
