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Blue Ridge staff warn school sewer hookup could require roughly $2 million plant expansion
Summary
Council and staff outlined options after Blue Ridge ISD asked to connect a new intermediate school outside the city's CCN, saying connecting to city sewer would likely require a plant expansion estimated in the 'couple million' range and additional private pumping costs for fire suppression.
Blue Ridge staff told the City Council during a Nov. 4 workshop that a proposed Blue Ridge ISD intermediate school located outside the city's Certificate of Convenience and Necessity (CCN) would not automatically be eligible for city sewer service and could force a costly plant expansion.
"We would have to expand our plant just a little bit to accommodate the 450 students and 50 staff that they are estimating for that school," said the staff presenter (Staff member), describing the district's projection. Staff said the scale of that demand means the city would need to plan and finance an expansion rather than absorb the load into current contracts.
The council heard staff outline alternatives the district's engineers have discussed: a commercial aerobic system, a package plant (which the school's engineers discouraged), or connecting to the city system with an expansion. Staff said the expansion alone was being discussed in the "couple million" range and that additional items — for example a private pump to overcome the city's gravity-fed lines and a fire-suppression well — would add cost.
"So that $2,000,000 just for a plant expansion to accommodate the need to expand that CCN," Staff member said, noting the city already has contractual commitments for capacity that complicate taking on a new off‑CCN connection immediately.
Council members asked about short-term options and whether an interim contract or phased agreement could let the district open while the city planned larger upgrades. Staff said engineers had drafted a letter of intent with phased costs and that a multi‑year payment or contract to fund expansion was one option the city would present to the school.
The discussion did not include a formal vote; staff said they would continue working with the district and engineers, and provide the council with cost breakdowns and contract options before any action was scheduled.
