After years of discussion and initial conversations, the Town of Pittsboro’s elected officials voted in 2021 to try and merge its water and sewer with the City of Sanford. The decision marked a big step – but it was still just the first formal decision.
The process to complete the merger is still in its early stages, with the two local governments crafting an interlocal agreement. On June 26, Pittsboro residents had a chance to share their thoughts with public comment on the draft so far.
An interlocal agreement is a formal contract between local governments to partner on services, development or operations. In this case, Pittsboro is looking to merge its drinking water and wastewater facilities with Sanford’s, which is directly south in Lee County. The goal is to expand Pittsboro’s capacity in response to ongoing growth – and to prevent its residents from bearing the financial burden of having to fund such improvements.
Pittsboro Commissioner Kyle Shipp joined 97.9 The Hill to discuss the merger following the town board meeting. He described some of the first infrastructure changes planned if finalized – which would allow his town to move away from only drawing water from the Haw River.
“Part of this [merger] is multiple capital projects,” Shipp said. “One of those is a new water treatment plant in Sanford, and [another is] a water line from Sanford. Around Q1 in 2027, those two projects will be complete and we’ll have the ability to have water from Sanford and the Cape Fear River. It really gives us a lot of resiliency, in that currently our only [water] source is the Haw River. But by Q1 of 2027, we’ll have multiple sources of water available in Pittsboro.”
In total, the Town of Pittsboro projects the need for an estimated $210 million in water and sewer improvements in the next two decades. The local government has earned loan approval for millions of dollars, and recently was granted more than $28 million from the state Department of Environmental Quality. But finalizing the interlocal agreement with Sanford is a critical step to formalize what responsibilities the larger city will have over Pittsboro’s utilities.
The final draft of the interlocal agreement between the two governments outlines that Sanford “irrevocably” has the right to design, construct, and upgrade all of Pittsboro’s water and sewer systems. Sanford would also be responsible for establishing the utility rates for Pittsboro residents – which town engineers said will be based off an agreed-upon formula between the local governments.
During the public comment, several community members shared their support for the merger – saying they believe the infrastructure is necessary to best prepare for growth. Some, though, shared concerns about water quality after the merger. Because Pittsboro’s water has been affected by chemical spills in recent years, the town took steps to address it with a GAC system – short for granulated activated carbon – which filters most organic chemicals.
Shipp said he agrees with the need for high-quality and safe drinking water, but said Sanford is also planning to install its own GAC filter.
“Pittsboro has taken the lead in the state and region on our water quality with the investments we made,” said the town commissioner, “so we just want to make sure that’s still going to be case after the merger. And it definitely is: Sanford is installing the same systems that we’ve installed now.”
Town staff said during the Pittsboro board meeting that “extensive public engagement” is expected over the coming months and year regarding the utilities merger. Shipp said he believes it’s important for residents to continue sharing their thoughts – both before and after the interlocal agreement is finalized. He said it will be adjusted alongside Pittsboro’s partnership with Sanford and the goal is to continue being responsive to community members’ needs.
“It covers a lot of ground in that length [of an agreement], but it doesn’t cover everything,” said Shipp. “So, we’re depending on our partnership with Sanford – and a lot of local experience with mergers and reorganizations – to continue to evolve this [agreement] as we go through [with it.]”
The Pittsboro Board of Commissioners aims to approve its interlocal agreement on the water and sewer merger at its next meeting on July 24. If Sanford then approves the agreement in August, Shipp said the goal is for the merger to be enacted on July 1, 2024 and for Sanford to begin operating Pittsboro’s staff and facilities.
More information about the pending merger, including answers to frequently asked questions, can be found on the Town of Pittsboro’s website.
Photo via the Town of Pittsboro.
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