Brunswick County and its partners (North Brunswick Sanitary District, Town of Leland, Town of Navassa, and City of Northwest) are planning to upgrade the Northeast Brunswick Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) by expanding its treatment capacity. Phase 1 will expand the WWTP’s treatment capacity by 0.825 million gallons per day (mgd), from 1.65 mgd to 2.475 mgd. Phase 2 will add an additional 2.5 mgd treatment capacity. After the Phase 2 expansion is completed the WWTP’s total capacity will be 4.975 mgd. The Phase 1 expansion will be constructed almost entirely inside the fence line of the existing plant site, located at the east end of Royster Road NE. The Phase 2 expansion will be constructed on the County’s parcel, immediately west and northwest of the existing plant site. At this time, no collection system expansion is planned.

As part of the approval of the plant expansion, an Environmental Assessment (EA) must be completed to satisfy the North Carolina Environmental Policy Act. The purpose of the scoping meeting is to invite comments from the public, as well as local, state, and federal agencies regarding environmental issues that should be addressed in the EA. A brief presentation on the scope of the project will be presented at the start of the meeting.

LOCATION: TOWN OF LELAND COUNCIL CHAMBERS
ADDRESS: 102 TOWN HALL DRIVE, LELAND, NC
DATE: JUNE 9, 2009
TIME: 6:00 PM

Anyone wishing to make verbal comments on the potential environmental issues relative to the project will be allowed to do so; however, comments may be limited based on time available. More details about the project or directions to the meeting location are available by contacting:

WK Dickson & Co., Inc. – 720 Corporate Center Drive, Raleigh, NC 27607 – attn. Ward Marotti (919-782-0495) or

Brunswick County Public Utilities Department, 20 Referendum Drive NE, P. O. Box 249, Bolivia, NC 28422 – attn. Jerry Pierce (910-253-2657)

Written comments offered for consideration in the EA may also be submitted by June 15, 2009, to either of the above locations.

Every summer, Brunswick County and the towns, cities, and other utilities that purchase water from Brunswick County implement an annual flushing program. Public Utilities employees will flush the water mains by opening fire hydrants and allowing them to flow freely for a short period of time. The flushing cleans out sediment and allows routine maintenance of the more than 5,000 fire hydrants in the Brunswick County service area. Flushing may result in some discoloration and the presence of sediment in your water. These conditions are not harmful and should be of short duration.

During this period of time, a slight change is made in the water treatment process to facilitate an effective flushing program. Throughout the year, chloramines, or combined chlorine, are added to the water as the primary disinfectant. During the summer flushing program, chlorine is added in an uncombined state, commonly referred to as free chlorine. Free chlorine is somewhat more volatile than combined chlorine, providing exceptional availability to react with sediments suspended during flushing. Brunswick County will use free chlorine as the primary disinfectant from June 15, 2009, through the end of July 2009. Depending on your location within the distribution system and usage patterns, it could take up to a week for your drinking water to transition from combined to free chlorine at the beginning of the flushing program, or from free chlorine to combined chlorine at the end of July. The annual change from chloramines to chlorine for this brief period is required by the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

You may notice a chlorine taste and odor in your drinking water while free chlorine is utilized. If you are especially sensitive to the taste and odor of chlorine, try keeping an open container of drinking water in your refrigerator. This will enable the chlorine to dissipate thus reducing the chlorine taste. Remember – drinking water has a shelf life! Change out the water in your refrigerated container weekly.

Please note, if you have an aquarium or pond always test the water you add to your aquatic environment to be sure it is free of any chlorine before adding fish or other animals. Chemical additives with directions for removing either free chlorine or chloramines from water for use in fish tanks or ponds are available at pet/fish supply stores.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this process please contact the County’s Public Utilities Department at 253-2860 or 371-3490 or 454-0512 or your local water provider.

Request the location of utilities before you dig in highways, public rights-of-way, and private easements.

Notice of proposed excavation must be given, either orally or in writing not less than two (2) nor more than ten (10) working days prior to starting, for the purposes of locating, marking, flagging, and/or identifying underground utilities:

    Public Utilities Administration
    Water Distribution Division
    20 Referendum Drive NE, Building G
    P. O. Box 249
    Bolivia, NC 28422
    (910) 253-2860