Carroll County PSA votes to pursue engineering, loan for Exit 1 regional wastewater project

The Carroll County Public Service Authority voted unanimously on March 9 to begin engineering and pursue loan documents to advance a proposed Exit 1 regional wastewater project.

Staff member Mike presented options for connecting the authority’s sewer system to Mount Airy, gave preliminary cost estimates and described the funding package available through the Virginia Resource Authority. Mike said the authority’s share of construction costs was described in the meeting as “possibly about 1.3” in one exchange and later as “5.3, approximately,” noting the full project was on the order of $8,000,000. He described the financing as effectively a 0% interest loan with roughly $150,000 in forgivable funds attached to the award and warned that delays could jeopardize the previously awarded funding.

A committee member pressed for a timeline, saying, “we hate to lose that money, and we won't get it back,” and urged quick action. Mike replied that the authority has been in contact with the Virginia Resource Authority, that the application and audit review likely would take several months, and that engineering and bid documents would be needed before finalizing any contract with Mount Airy.

Before the vote the board discussed trade-offs: whether to invest in repairs and limited capacity at the existing Exit 1 plant or to build capacity that would allow growth. Mike said the plant’s performance is inconsistent—samples and operations show periods that meet expectations followed by periods of poor performance—and recommended hiring a third‑party engineering firm to review plant design, flows and recent compliance history.

The board then voted to move forward. Roll call recorded affirmative votes by “Mister Dixon,” “Mister Hawks,” “Mister Horton,” “Mister Jezzette,” and the chair, producing a unanimous approval to proceed to engineering and loan finalization.

The authority will return to the board with engineering estimates, procurement steps, and any recommended easements or agreements needed to connect into Mount Airy’s system. Staff also noted potential additional requirements from the financing agency, including review of the authority’s audits and possible recommendations to raise rates or identify additional local funding before final loan closing.

The decision follows a recent inspection at Exit 1 by DEQ and ongoing work to address consent‑order items.