Wasatch master plan shows future water and wastewater needs; Rocky River expansion, inter‑basin transfers cited

Consultants from Wasatch and Black & Veatch told the Harrisburg Town Council that a multi-jurisdictional water and sewer master plan is designed to keep the system ahead of demand as growth continues.

Lee Campbell, project manager with Black & Veatch, said the team began the update in 2022 and modeled current and future usage across member jurisdictions. He said system capacity at the Rocky River Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant recently rose to 30 million gallons per day with a Phase 4 expansion scheduled to reach 34 MGD in 2027 and longer-term planning that could extend capacity to 40–50 MGD.

"For Harrisburg, looking at a base year of about 1.6 MGD going up, you know, over double to 3.85 MGD by year 2050," Campbell said.

The study includes a mix of tasks: evaluating existing infrastructure, forecasting growth with member inputs, permitting for Rocky River expansion, and water‑supply analysis. Campbell described an inflow-and-infiltration study and a hydraulic model used to identify capacity-driven projects; the team reported 21 capacity projects totaling about $247,000,000 and wastewater treatment plant expansion work estimated near $930,000,000 across Rocky River and Muddy Creek.

Thomas Hahn, Wasatch engineering director, told the council the master plan is one piece of a broader program that includes permitting and system upgrades. Campbell and Wasatch staff are already preparing required engineering alternatives analyses and expect to submit a discharge application as part of a future permit for higher treatment capacity.

The presentation emphasized planning triggers tied to plant utilization: state guidance suggests beginning expansion planning when average flows exceed 80% of capacity and being under construction at 90%. To help member jurisdictions manage timing and obligations, the consultants built three dashboards: an obligated‑flows dashboard showing developer allocations, a jurisdictional flow monitoring dashboard to compare actual flows with allocations, and an ICIP dashboard that defines project triggers and tracks capital projects.

Council members pressed staff on allocation and cost-sharing. Wasatch staff said historic expansions have allocated new capacity based on a five‑year historical average of each jurisdiction’s share of flow, but decisions about future allocation methodology will rest with the Wasatch board.

On water supply, the consultants noted inter‑basin transfers from the Yadkin and Catawba rivers play a significant role in meeting long‑term demand. Campbell said the analysis shows that with those transfers in place, supply remains below the 80% planning threshold through 2050 in the model scenarios.

Council members and staff asked about emergency preparedness. Wasatch said recent upgrades, including new plant generators and fuel capacity, reduce the risk of a week‑long outage but they continue to plan for severe events.

The consultants said the master plan will be used as a living document by member jurisdictions to time capital projects and that additional public outreach will occur through the Wasatch board and member jurisdictions when allocation or interlocal agreements are proposed.