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County hears $6.9 million estimate to restore wells, add booster and filters for Bladen County West water system
Summary
A consultant told commissioners that restoring Guyton Road and Lisbon wells, adding a booster pump station and installing about 4,000 feet of 8‑inch line could cost roughly $6.9 million; the board discussed DEQ grants, federal funding pathways and next steps for testing and design.
Commissioners heard a detailed presentation on water‑system needs in the Bladen County West service area, where two wells have been taken offline because of turbidity and high iron levels. The presenter outlined options to restore reliability — including filtration at affected wells, a booster pump station in Tar Heel and about 4,000 feet of new 8‑inch line — and estimated the total construction cost at roughly $6.9 million.
“We have a little over $1,300,000 for the booster station component… almost $6,900,000 of total construction cost,” the project presenter said, describing components that include filtration vessels, pump skids and pipe replacement. The presenter explained that Guyton Road well was offline because of high turbidity (described as a grayish particulate), while the Lisbon well showed iron concentrations near 1.5 parts per million; the presenter said the county’s chemical treatment tests had lowered iron but not consistently below the 0.3 ppm target.
The board discussed interim alternatives such as purchasing treated water from neighboring jurisdictions, and whether relocating or reusing media and filtration skids from other sites is feasible. The presenter said moving packaged filtration equipment is possible but involves building and handling complexities. He reviewed prior grant attempts, noting a past application to the state division (DEQ) had not scored high enough; he identified DEQ loan/grant cycles and suggested pursuing other federal funding routed through state programs.
Commissioners asked staff to continue testing at the Lisbon well, to prioritize projects that provide redundancy for the Tobermory/Tobermorey zone, and to return cost breakdowns and funding options. The board did not approve construction funding at the meeting; it directed staff to continue design, testing and funding outreach.
