North Wilkesboro approves resolution to join Wilkesboro on Yadkin River raw water intake project

The Town of North Wilkesboro Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to adopt Resolution 2026-03 on Jan. 13, authorizing the town to proceed with a joint raw water intake and associated pipeline from the Yadkin River in coordination with the Town of Wilkesboro.

Jared Wright, project manager for McGill Associates, told commissioners the project includes a new intake structure on the Yadkin River with three intake screens and pumps, and a raw water line to the North Wilkesboro water treatment plant. Wright said the engineering, design, permitting and administration fee is $910,000 and listed North Wilkesboro’s portion of the intake facility at $7,439,950; he gave a consolidated current project cost of $19,316,490 and said the town would need about $2,418,820 to complete upgrades at the water plant.

Wright said bids for the work were competitive after readvertisement and that the design team negotiated cost savings by switching river crossings to horizontal directional drill, a change he said “saved the town $1.5 million.” He said Contract B (the raw water line) had a revised bid of about $9.4 million after adjustments and removal of approximately 740 feet of pipe from that contract.

Wright described loan terms that include 25% principal forgiveness, a 0% interest rate over a 20-year payback period and a loan-closing fee of $134,000. He said the town received a $6.7 million Division of Water Infrastructure loan in 2019 and received $15 million in ARPA funds in 2023 that are earmarked for this work; Wright stated the ARPA money must be spent by Dec. 31, 2026. He also advised that loans over $1 million require Local Government Commission approval and recommended staff coordinate with Wilkesboro, which is scheduled on the LGC agenda in March.

Public Utilities Director David Poore explained why staff dropped a proposed Actiflo pretreatment system, saying it levels turbidity but “would also require two more full time employees, and creates 60,000 gallons of waste per day.” Poore said the system would not substantially increase the plant’s production capacity. Commissioners raised questions about the tight ARPA timeline and the project’s potential impact on water rates. Finance Director Alisha Anderson asked the board to consider water-rate changes during the budget process to cover future debt service.

Town Attorney Victoria Brooks confirmed the interlocal agreement contemplates negotiation of bulk finished-water rates with Wilkesboro, and McGill said it would seek written confirmation from the Division of Water Infrastructure about combining project numbers and funding arrangements.

Commissioner Andrew Palmer moved to adopt Resolution 2026-03; Commissioner Michael Parsons seconded the motion, which passed on a 4-0 vote. Mayor Randy C. Huffman opened the meeting at 3:02 p.m.; the meeting adjourned at 3:55 p.m.

The next procedural steps Wright outlined are written confirmation from DWI on the combined funding approach, coordination with Wilkesboro staff for LGC review, and the roughly two-year construction timetable associated with the contracts.