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MOUNT OLIVE — Members of the Mount Olive Board of Commissioners gathered for a special-called meeting on Oct. 21 to consider two items related to work the town hopes will be a step in repairing the wastewater woes that have plagued the town for years and that has resulted in a moratorium issued by the state on any new sewage capacity in town.
A contract, which would be awarded to Ralph Hodge Construction Company of Wilson, for a “sewer collections rehabilitation project,” was tentatively approved by the board, subject to approval of bid documents by the N.C. Division of Water Infrastructure.
In addition, the board approved Interim Town Manager Glenn Holland’s request that authorizes McGill Associates Engineering to negotiate the scope and costs with a contractor regarding the “wastewater treatment improvements project.”
In an interview with Duplin Journal, Holland was cautiously optimistic about these two projects taking the town at least in the direction of eventually ending the town’s wastewater problems.
“It will start the process of doing the two projects, one of them being I&I (infiltration and inflow) on the collection system and the other work on the wastewater treatment plant to hopefully, keyword hopefully, have a positive impact,” Holland said.
Holland said the work on the collection system will help meet some of the requirements of a special consent order between Mount Olive and the state that features several mandated steps the town must take to avoid additional sanctions and fines on the town.
As far as how these contracts will affect the wastewater moratorium Mount Olive is under, which has basically brought development in the town and other areas its sewage system serves to a halt, Holland said that remains to be seen based on how effective the project is.
“As far as the impact on the moratorium, until the work is completed and we can look and see if we see a reduction in flow to the collection system, I have no way of telling you how far toward relief from the moratorium we will be,” Holland said.
He indicated this work is just a small step toward eliminating the town’s overall wastewater handling problems, but he, like the town, hopes it is a step in that direction.
