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Apex council adopts sewer asset‑inventory report citing mostly low risk, flags two near‑term assessments
Summary
The council unanimously accepted a final asset‑inventory and assessment of Apex’s sanitary sewer collection system, funded by an AIA grant. The report finds most gravity mains low risk, identifies two priority interceptor assessments, and projects major replacement cost peaks mid‑century.
The Apex Town Council unanimously approved a final engineering report on the town’s sanitary sewer collection system on June 23, accepting findings from consultant Hazen and Sawyer and staff.
The report, prepared under an Asset Inventory and Assessment (AIA) grant administered through the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Infrastructure and funded with American Rescue Plan Act allocations, covered the town’s entire collection system and estimated replacement and rehabilitation needs. "Great news — the system is good," said Matthew Ricker, a utility engineer in the Town of Apex Water Resources Department, while presenting the results and recommended next steps.
Why it matters: Council accepted a data‑driven foundation for a formal asset management program that planners and operations staff can use to prioritize inspections, condition assessments and capital projects. The analysis showed more than 90% of gravity mains and over 40% of force mains are low risk; a very small share of gravity mains (about 0.1%) and under 10% of force mains were scored high risk. Hazen and Sawyer also provided 2025 cost estimates extrapolated across anticipated end‑of‑life timelines, producing multi‑decade replacement peaks around 2045, 2070 and 2090.
Key details: Ricker told council the project inventoried roughly 312 miles of gravity main and 46 miles of force main. The report recommended continued CCTV and pole‑camera inspection of gravity mains (the vendor recommended inspecting about 10% of gravity mains per year) and wall‑thickness testing for force mains. The presentation highlighted two near‑term condition assessments: the Apex Water Reclamation Facility trunk line (a large 30–36‑inch interceptor) and the Beaver Creek interceptor (roughly 30–42 inches). Both will undergo additional condition assessment before staff and engineers decide on rehabilitation or replacement.
Funding and schedule: The town applied for and was awarded up to $400,000 through an AIA grant; staff said about $371,000 of the grant amount was spent on the study and that final invoicing and reimbursement will follow council acceptance. Ricker and staff said recommended next steps include continued inspections, improvements to GIS/data management and hydraulic modeling coupled with flow metering already underway.
What council decided next: After Q&A about odor complaints, pump stations and how peak replacement costs might be mitigated through proactive rehab, Council member Zegerman moved to approve the final engineering report; the motion passed unanimously.
The engineering report will be the basis for prioritized condition assessments and capital planning; staff said the report closes out the grant deliverables and lets the town proceed with the asset management program and targeted near‑term inspections.
