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Washington council accepts $6.15 million state loan to rehabilitate water treatment plant; county to cover sizable share
Summary
The Washington City Council adopted a resolution to accept a $6,154,000 State Revolving Fund loan to rehabilitate the city's water treatment plant; City Manager Jonathan Russell said Beaufort County is expected to assume about $3.5 million of the loan and the city's share would cost roughly $240,000 per year in repayment.
The Washington City Council on Oct. 9 adopted a resolution authorizing Mayor Donald Sadler to accept a $6,154,000 State Revolving Fund (SRF) loan offer from the State Water Infrastructure Authority to rehabilitate the city——s water treatment plant. City Manager Jonathan Russell said the loan comes repayable at 1.76% interest with a 2% loan fee.
Russell told the council that some of the plant——s filtration systems are nearing the end of their useful life and that moving forward with rehabilitation would be cheaper over time than delaying repairs. He said Beaufort County is expected to pay about $3.5 million of the loan and that the city——s repayment obligation would be about $240,000 annually, though staff will "fine-tune" the county contribution based on usage and finalize allocation details.
The motion to accept the SRF offer was made by Councilmember Mike Renn and seconded by Mayor Pro tem Richard Brooks. The minutes record the vote in favor by Mayor Pro tem Brooks, Councilmembers Lou Hodges, William Pitt, Mike Renn and Bobby E. Roberson.
Why it matters: The SRF loan is a low-interest option that funds major upgrades to drinking-water infrastructure. Council discussion centered on long-term service reliability and how costs will be allocated between the city and Beaufort County. Russell said the county currently contributes toward maintenance under an existing agreement and staff will adjust figures to reflect actual usage averages.
Background and next steps: The resolution references Project No. WIF-2046 (also noted in the minutes as WIF-2049); staff will finalize the intergovernmental cost-share with Beaufort County and return with implementation details. The council adopted the resolution at the Oct. 9 meeting and authorized the mayor to accept the offer; no further votes were recorded on the item that evening.
